What is the true value of the Australian traveller?
New research by destination marketing organization Brand USA has unveiled Australians “travel farther, stay longer and spend more”
Brand USA – a destination marketing organization that works with more than 900 partners globally to promote tourism to the USA – has just unveiled its latest research into the expenditure and habits of the increasingly valuable Australian tourist, and it’s official: ‘Australians and New Zealanders travel farther, stay longer and spend more… than many other inbound markets’.
The number of Australians visiting the USA has more than doubled in the past ten years, with tourism spending accelerating from US$5.9 million in 2010 to US$8.5 million in 2017.
Australians Stay Longer & Spend More on Ancillaries
The average length of stay for overseas visitors to the USA is 18 days, but Australian tourists invest in a much longer stay of 22 days – with 73% planning a repeat visit.
Although it has the smallest population of any nation listed in the top 10 markets, Australia ranks as the ninth largest market for international visitor spend in the USA. As well as spending more on longer stays, Aussies are also ready to spend on the ground. Of equal importance to sightseeing is shopping, a massive drawcard with 92% of Australians indulging while in the USA.
High Consumer Confidence Boosts Tourism Spend
So what makes the Australian market so fruitful? The country’s economic climate, a ‘world record’ of ‘27 years of unbroken growth without a recession’, has kept consumer confidence buoyant, with households able and willing to allocate expenditure to luxuries such as holidays. Plus, due to the country’s remote geographical location, Australians are accustomed to paying out for long-distance travel.
Despite some economic challenges on the horizon in line with the global climate, desire to travel hasn’t shifted, with 11.4% of the population planning to travel overseas within the next year – an increase on the previous record-breaking year.
Luxury Escapes & the Australian Market
Luxury Escapes opens the door to the valuable Australian market for partners all around the world. A recent customer survey confirmed that members plan to spend between AU$5k and AU$10k every year on holidays, with the highest annual customer spend reaching AU$30k. Trips are booked on average five months ahead of travel, with customers taking an average of 1.53 trips per year.
Source: Brand USA Market Information Australia & New Zealand 2019
Read the full Brand USA report here.
