NSW is still the biggest draw card for international visitors, receiving the highest number of travellers last year.
According to the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS), NSW welcomed a record of 3.2 million overseas travellers for the year ending December 2014 – up 6.7 percent on the prior 12 months.
Sydney alone welcomed more than three million visitors for the first time, while regional NSW attracted 635,000 international visitors, up 6.9 percent.
People from Asia, Europe and the USA contributed heavily to the increase, as Chinese nationals climbed 17.8 percent on the prior year; Germany up 16.6 percent; Malaysia increased 16.3 percent; and USA up 10.9 percent.
The youth market was also a big driver, jumping 7.9 percent in the 12 months to reach record levels of more than one million visitors.
Visitors weren’t just visiting in record numbers, they also stayed a greater number of nights and spent more during their stay than ever before.
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said overseas visitors contributed $7 billion to the State’s economy – up 5.4 percent on the previous year.
Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said the results confirm the success of the NSW Government’s initiatives to attract international visitors.
“These results demonstrate the success of our marketing and partnerships initiatives and the strength of the NSW events calendar.”
Sandra Chipchase, Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer
Meanwhile, international visitor numbers to Australia overall climbed eight percent last year to 6.4 million.
Leisure visitors dominated growth, with holiday arrivals climbing eight percent to 2.9 million.
Visiting friends and relatives increased by 10 percent to 1.8 million.
