Foreign backpackers underpinning Queensland's tourism during economic crisis

From the March 11, 2009 issue of Tourism Queensland's e-newsletter:

Backpackers and students buoy international tourist market

The latest International Visitor Survey results for the year ended December 2008 have revealed that foreign backpackers and students are underpinning Queensland's international visitor market during the global economic crisis.

The survey highlighted that while visitor numbers to Queensland decreased 5.6% to just over 2 million, expenditure was up 9% to $4 billion and nights were up 12% to 40.6 million (double the increase of the national average). Much of this increase can be credited to backpackers and foreign students, with rises of 2% and 9% respectively. European and Canadian backpacker numbers were particularly strong with Germans up 8%, Scandanavians up 5%, Canadians up 12%, French up 21% and Dutch up 11%.

Working holiday-makers were also up 13% and 18% in nights, with working holiday visa holders making up 12% of all international visitor nights to Queensland. The overall decrease in the number of international visitors during 2008 was largely attributable to the ongoing fall in the Japan market, which dropped 23% and a 3% decline in the UK market.

The impact of low-cost airlines also continued to be felt with Malaysian visitors up 41% thanks to direct AirAsia X flights into Queensland. Buoyed by the education market, India continued to perform strongly - with 32,000 Indians spending 1.1 million nights in Queensland. The global economic crisis also impacted the New Zealand market, which decreased 6% and the China market, which dropped 18%.

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