Tourists spend more in WA

The number of international visitors to Western Australia each year has surpassed 800,000, with the state again recording the highest average trip expenditure per visitor for the country.

While the number of visitors is still well below that of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, which each recorded more than 2 million overseas tourists, international visitors to WA spent more per person during their trip than any other state.

According to Tourism Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey, 807,000 international visitors spent $2.3 billion in WA over the 12 months to September.

The average trip expenditure for international visitors to WA was $2,915, which is 1.6 per cent lower than last year.

Singaporean visitors to the state represented the highest increase of 30 per cent, adding more than 18,100 tourists.

The record number of international tourists to the state represents a 7 per cent increase on last year’s figure.

Tourism Council WA chief executive officer Evan Hall said the tourism boom follows an increase in marketing by the state government and tourism industry.

“Government marketing is bringing overseas tourists, export dollars and jobs to WA,” he said.

“We must continue marketing to drive tourism dollars to WA as the resource sector slows.”

According to the survey, 12.9 per cent of international visitors to the country visited WA, while more than half of Australia’s international tourists visited NSW.

The most recent Tourism Satellite Account, produced by Tourism Research Australia, shows that the WA tourism industry accounts for 3.3 per cent of the state economy by gross value added, according to 2012-2013 financial year data.