Aus to see 136,0 00 visitors from India in '09: TFC

The Tourism Forecasting Council has forecast 136,000 visitors from India in the year 2009. What's more, the council expects the arrivals to grow at an annual rate of 17.1 per cent at 276,000 visiors through to the year 2013.

In what may be an indicator of increased yields and dispersal from Indians to Australia, there were 116,000 visitors from India in 2008, making it the 12th largest inbound market for arrivals as on December last year. According to Maggie White, general manager-South, Southeast Asia and Gulf countries, Tourism Australia, "Last year, the total international arrivals to Australia was 116,000 visitors which is a rise in 22 per cent from the previous year. There are currently 90,000 students from India studying among the total population of 21 million in Australia. For the year ahead, we expect a growth of 14 per cent in the total number of arrivals to Australia."

Focussing on Gujarat, White said, "Out of the total arrivals from India, Gujarat contributes to 10-15 per cent visitors on an average." In the year ending December 2008, Indian visitors contributed AUS $748 to Australia's total inbound economic value. Of the total arrivals of visitors from India last year, a high proportion was visiting for a holiday (28,2999), visiting friends and relatives (27,936), business (27,778), education (14,024), employment (8,788) and others (9,161).

The number of nights' stay in Australia by visitors from India totalled 6.6 million last year, out of which the average nights was 60, much higher than the global average of 32 nights, according to White.