Record number of overseas tourists visit Victoria

A RECORD number of international tourists converged on Victoria over the past year as the state continues to outpace the rest of the country as a tourism drawcard.

A RECORD number of international tourists converged on Victoria over the past year as the state continues to outpace the rest of the country as a tourism drawcard.

More than 2.9 million visitors from overseas flocked to Victoria – an 8 per cent increase on the previous 12 months and higher than the national average.

International visitors also spent in record amounts with $7 billion injected into the Victorian economy.

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Figures from Tourism ­Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey show visitors stayed

almost 70 million nights in the state during the 12 months to June.

Chinese tourists take a jump at Lake Tyrrell, near Sea Lake, Victoria.

While Melbourne remains a must-see destination, regional areas including Bendigo, Macedon, Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula saw massive spikes in visitor numbers.

The results show Victoria has now outstripped Queensland in overseas visitors and only trails NSW.

Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said the new figures showed more international tourists were deciding Melbourne and surrounding regions were must-see destinations.

“What is also encouraging for Victoria is we’re seeing strong growth outside of Melbourne with areas like Bendigo, the Grampians and Macedon all seeing strong growth in visitor numbers,” Mr Birmingham said.

The Great Ocean Road is a big drawcard for overseas tourists.

“This is good news for regional towns and it’s great to see travellers are getting out of Melbourne and getting a taste for the rest of Victoria as well.”

Throughout the country, a record 8.4 million international travellers came to Australia’s shores over the last year.

They spent in record amounts with $42.5 billion injected into the Australian economy, a 5 per cent spike on the previous year.

Mr Birmingham said Australia was one of the most sought after holiday destinations in the world at the moment.

“We’ve always had a good product and it’s encouraging to see international travellers are getting on planes in record numbers to see what all the fuss is about,” he said.

Bus loads of tourists flock to Mt Macedon.

“This is something we should be proud of but we also need strike while the iron is hot. The more tourists we get to our shores the more they contribute to the economy and the more they spend in Australian businesses.”

There continued to be strong demand from China with visitor numbers up 13 per cent, reaching a record 1.3 million.

Chinese visitors also spent splurged out in record numbers, with spending up 15 per cent to a $11.3 billion.

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