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Canberra’s domestic tourism continues to rise in lead up to its centenary year

 
Canberra Times (June 25) reports that domestic tourism to Australia’s capital, Canberra, continues to rise, whereas international backpackers are decreasing. Tourism Research Australia (TRA) issued its latest domestic and overseas tourism statistics yesterday.

International backpackers decreased 31,000 in the first quarter of this year, from January to March, in comparison with 36,000 over the same period last year, indicating a decrease of 13.9%. These international backpackers spent $344 million during the first three months this year.

TRA reported 450,000 Australians visited the Australian Capital Territory on overnight trips in the first quarter. This figure is a 17.5% increase on the same period in 2011.

The tourists visiting Canberra for day trips (not staying overnight) also increased in the first quarter. This year 505,000 day-trippers visited Canberra, up by 29.5% on the same period last year. TRA indicated that people coming to Canberra for day trips spent an average of $167 each, injecting a total of $229 million into the local economy. They were attracted to a series of major events, such as the Renaissance art exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia and the Handwritten exhibition at the National Library of Australian which displayed original manuscripts. There were no major exhibitions in Canberra in the first quarter of 2011, which is evidence that major exhibitions and events will attract domestic tourism to the capital. Domestic business travel to the capital also increased substantially in the March quarter.

This bodes well for next year’s Centenary of Canberra. In 2013, the capital celebrates its 100th anniversary with various planned events and exhibitions. Robyn Archer, the creative director of the Centenary of Canberra, expects an influx of tourists to the capital, both domestic and international, to add to its 360,000 residents. The exact date to mark a hundred years is March 12, 2013 when the city was officially designated “Canberra” but celebrations will be spread over the entire year. Archer indicated that Canberra “is going to do some very surprisingly beautiful things in 2013.”





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