Austrade is helping build resilience in Australia’s visitor economy by supporting efforts to attract and service increased leisure, business and education visitation from Southeast Asia and India.
Welcoming more visitors from these growing markets, while acknowledging the value of Australians travelling abroad to supporting increased air access and strengthened bilateral partnerships, is central to the visitor economy’s future success. Australia’s long-term visitor economy strategy, THRIVE 2030, recognises this.
Austrade supports efforts to build international visitor markets in several ways.
It leads work on:
It puts into practice tourism actions outlined in the Australian Government's:
It provides advice on and supports:
Diversification is a pillar of Australia’s visitor economy strategy, THRIVE 2030.
THRIVE 2030 aims to:
To support this, we are leading development of an international diversification strategy for the visitor economy.
International diversification in the visitor economy means attracting visitors from more overseas markets and market segments. Using targeted approaches to create a broad portfolio of source markets will build a more resilient visitor economy.
We have worked with the sector on the strategy. In 2023, Austrade released a discussion paper to guide stakeholder feedback. A consultation period involving roundtables, submissions and surveys led to these findings.
Strengthening tourism cooperation is a core component of the upgraded Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Australia and Vietnam. The two-way flow of visitors between the countries has already been increasing. Australia is now Vietnam's 7th largest source market for visitors and Vietnam has been Australia's highest growth visitor market in the recovery period.
The governments have an Australia – Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy.
As part of this strategy, Austrade has cooperated with the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and industry on the Strengthening Australia – Vietnam Tourism Cooperation (SAVTC) Project.
Actions funded and delivered under the SAVTC Project aim to increase industry awareness of the opportunities of and barriers to increased two-way visitation. These include:
Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 aims to create greater trade and investment with Southeast Asia. This national strategy lists the visitor economy as a priority sector for ties with Southeast Asia.
Austrade is working with Tourism Australia to implement Recommendations 56 to 58 of the strategy.
These recommendations are:
India is Australia’s 5th largest market for overseas arrivals. Yet the Indian visitor market has major untapped potential.
In 2024, the Australian Government began developing A New Roadmap for Australia’s Economic Engagement with India. Tourism will be a key part of the roadmap.
Austrade also works to bring international tourists to Australia through its management of the China Approved Destination Status Scheme.
Developing an International strategy for the visitor economy is Priority 6.3 of THRIVE 2030, Australia’s long-term visitor economy strategy. The goal is to identify emerging markets for travel and education, among other actions.
Read more about THRIVE 2030.