The table illustrates the number of Australian tourists travelling to the seven most well-visited destinations in 1999 and 2009, along with the corresponding growth levels.
Overall, all the countries witnessed an upward trend in tourist numbers during the period. While New Zealand attracted the largest arrivals, China recorded the most dramatic growth among seven nations.
New Zealand consistently dominated as the leading attraction, increasing by 113% from 500,700 in 1999 to over 1.06 million in 2009. The United Kingdom remained its position as the second popular destination, increasing from 400,000 to 640,000, equating to a growth of 60%. Similarly, the United States occupied the third place, showing the smallest growth rate of 33%, from 300,000 to 400,000 visitors.
By contrast, China, despite starting with the lowest tourist numbers with 86,000 in 1999, experienced the fastest growth of 249%, reaching 300,000 in 2009. China also showed a significant increase from 100,000 to 250,000, representing a rise rate of 150%. Meanwhile, the figures for Indonesia and Fiji more than doubled in both years, climbing from 150,000 and 120,000 to 340,000 and 257,000, which are equivalent to 127% and 114% growth, respectively.