Around 5.6 million international guests arrive in Australia each year, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia. In a relatively short period of time, tourism has become one of the largest and most profitable industries Down Under. In 2007, tourism added over 50 billion pounds to the Australian economy and was responsible for approximately 465,000 jobs.
Did you know that Australia is one of the most popular destinations for UK tourists? For obvious reasons, residents of New Zealand are the most frequent international guest, about 1.1 million each year. But the UK is in the second spot with nearly 700,000 visitors per annum.
Even though it takes longer to reach Australia from the UK than it does from the US, around two hundred thousand more residents from the UK travel Down Under than their American peers. And that's with a total population that is only around 1/5th of the United States. Translation: travel articles Australia are much more popular with UK tourists.
Though travel from the UK has declined by about ten percent in the wake of the economic recession, it is still one of the most popular destinations. There are a hundred possible explanations to why UK residents love Australia.
For starters, Australia is gorgeous. In survey after survey, the country is at or near the top of the list for the best places to live. Taking a trip Down Under is also a perfect excuse for going on a long vacation. Since the plane ride alone takes about a day and half roundtrip, most couples and families stay for at least ten days.