International tourist growth strong in first half of 2005

Countries with increasing visitor numbers for January to June 2005 include:

-Korea up 24.4% to 130,200;
-China up 19.3% to 143,000;
-Singapore up 14.1% to 130,700;
-New Zealand up 11.1% to 490,300′
-Taiwan up 9.5% to 56,700;
-UK up 7.3% to 340,500.

For the period international visitors have increased by eight per cent over the same period in 2004 ie we have hosted more than 2.6 million international tourists, more than 200,000 more than in 2004.

Minister Fran Bailey says Australia is well on the way to achieving the forecast increase of 6.9% in international visitors in 2005.