Time to assess tourism future

AUSSIES holidaying in the Far North are the region’s bread and butter with overseas tourists the cream on the top.

The latest 12-monthly figures based on the National Visitor Survey show growth in the domestic market as Australians headed to the tropics during the colder months in the south.

In fact, they came in record numbers with 2.188 million visitors who spent $2.4 billion from September 2018-September 2019.

International numbers are slightly down from 849,000 to 842,000 but spending increased fractionally to $1.1b.

Fortunately Chinese numbers held up and still are the number one source from overseas but the next set of international survey results will tell the real story following the departure of Cathay Pacific last October.

Attracting international tourists to the region is still hampered by the lack of direct flights and almost full domestic services. Fortunately it appears the Japanese are returning to the region in greater numbers via Jetstar’s Tokyo and Osaka routes and US numbers are up too.

Cairns Airport is targeting 22 airlines in a bid to secure more international flights.

Future Tourism hosted by the Cairns Post from January 29 is expected to provide further information on the progress of extra flights as well as what the region can look forward to in the crucial multibillion-dollar leisure market in the next 12 months.

Demographer Bernard Salt will crunch the numbers and provide insights behind the figures to guide those in the industry.

Nick Dalton

Deputy editor