The table illustrates the number of Australian tourists visiting seven popular destinations in 1999 and 2009, along with the corresponding growth rates.
Overall, all destinations experienced an increase in Australian visitors over the ten-year period, with New Zealand attracting the largest number of tourists, while China recorded the fastest rate of growth.
In both years, New Zealand consistently dominated as the leading destination, with arrivals more than doubling from approximately 500,700 in 1999 to just over 1.06 million in 2009. The United Kingdom retained second place, rising from 400,000 to 640,000, which equates to a 60% growth. By contrast, the United States, although ranking third in both years, experienced a comparatively marginal increase of only 33%, climbing from 300,000 to 400,000, the slowest growth rate among all destinations.
In contrast to the relatively modest growth in Western countries, Asian and Pacific destinations witnessed far steeper rises. China, for example, saw its visitor numbers surge more than threefold, from just 86,000 in 1999 to 300,000 in 2009, representing the most dramatic growth rate of 249%. Japan also recorded a substantial increase, climbing from 100,000 to 250,000, equivalent to a 150% rise. Similarly, Indonesia and Fiji both experienced more than a twofold growth, attracting 340,000 and 257,000 Australians respectively by 2009.