13,000 Indians visited South Australia in 2016-17

Mumbai, June 23

South Australia continues to attract Indians witnessing 30 per cent growth in arrivals at 13,000 visitors from the sub-continent during the financial year 2016-17, according to a survey by Tourism Research Australia.

In 2015-16, 10,000 Indians visited South Australia, the International Visitor Survey released by Tourism Research Australia stated.

There was also strong growth in the Indian market with a surge in its visitors and spend.

South Australia also witnessed an additional spend of AUD 23 million or 128 per cent growth by Indian tourists at AUD 41 million during April 2016-March 2017, compared to AUD 18 million in the same period of the previous year, the data stated.

With this, India has now become the eighth largest source market for South Australia.

The average year-on-year growth in both visitor arrivals and spend of Indians has been steadily increasing at a rate of 8.33 per cent and 39.7 per cent, respectively over the last three years.

When visiting Australia, Indians look at spending on experiences that offer beauty and nature, family friendly activities and beaches and marine wildlife, South Australian Tourism Commission Regional Director (India and Southeast Asia) Dana Urmonas said.

“India has always been an important growth market for us and we are happy to see Indians increasingly opting to travel to South Australia. This validates the fact that our programs in the last two years, including the exciting collaboration with television channels and production houses, have paid off,” she added.

South Australia would continue to focus on the India market and towards this it would be rolling out initiatives over the next year as well, she said.

 It targets mainly families, honeymooners and independent leisure travellers in the age group of 25-45 in primary markets of Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai, Urmonas said. PTI