Deloitte: Australian tourism and hotel outlook

By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

A growing Asian middle class, and a weakening Australian dollar in the medium term, remain the keys to a positive future for the Australian tourism industry according to Deloitte’s latest Tourism and Hotel Outlook.\

Deloitte Access Economics’ Lachlan Smirl comments:

“Over the next three years, more than 75% of the growth in international visitor nights will be from Asian travellers. Asia is, and remains, the key, and China continues to present a huge and long term opportunity,” he says.

China has been by far the largest source of growth in international visitor nights since 2000, and by 2021, well over one million Chinese visitors are forecast to come to Australia annually, compared to 584,000 currently. Arrivals from China were up 16.8% in the year to June 2012, while arrivals from Indonesia and India grew 6.2% and 5.3% respectively relative to the year to June 2011.