MUMBAI: Number of Indians travelling to Australia grew by 15.2 per cent in 2017 to 302,200 mainly driven by a focused strategy of strengthening the country’s position as a preferred long haul destination.
In 2016, 259,900 Indians travelled to Australia, according to data by Tourism Australia.
About 70 per cent of Indian visitors travelled to Australia for leisure (2,11,500) in 2017. About 39,000 visitors travelled for business, 19,800 for employment, 18,100 for education and 14,100 for other purposes.
Among travelers under leisure, 75,900 visitors were on holiday and 1,35,600 were visiting friends and relatives.
“As a part of the strategy, a key goal was defined to achieve 3,00,000 Indian arrivals into Australia by the end of this decade (2020), a milestone that has been achieved three years ahead of the defined target date,” Tourism Australia country manager, India and Gulf, Nishant Kashikar said.
He added, Australia has been growing in appeal as an aspirational destination for Indian travelers.
Tourism Australia will continue to intensify its efforts, with an aim to be within the top five inbound markets for the country by 2025, he added. Currently, India is the eighth largest inbound market for arrivals for Australia.
Meanwhile, in mid-2017 the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection extended online lodgment of visitor visa applications to all Indian nationals, which is likely to be a strong catalyst for boosting tourist arrivals from India.-PTI
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