TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site**, today revealed the top countries showing interest in visiting Australia as a travel destination, as well as the top searched destinations within Australia by domestic and international travellers.

According to the latest TripAdvisor inbound travel data for Australia,[1] Spain leads with the highest increase in interest, growing its total share of search traffic by more than 112% over the past year with other European destinations such as The Netherlands and Ireland leading in the top five. Interest from the Asia Pacific region remains strong with Hong Kong also increasing its share of traffic.

Top five inbound countries by increased share interest[2]:

When examining the total inbound search traffic for Australian destinations, the U.S. tops the list followed by the UK and Singapore respectively. Canada and Germany also feature in the top 10 along with the Asian countries of Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. As China is one of the largest contributors to both inbound arrivals and inbound expenditure, Tourism Research Australia expects it to overtake New Zealand as the largest international tourism market by 2017–18, two years earlier than previously forecast.[3] 

Top 10 inbound countries in terms of overall traffic[4]:

“Australia offers great cultural diversity, beautiful beaches, amazing experiences and a thriving food scene, all of which makes it a very desirable destination for travellers from different parts of the world,” said Grant Colquhoun, TripAdvisor spokesperson. “Our data shows an increase in the number of TripAdvisor reviews for Australia’s accommodations (+23%), attractions (+35%) and restaurants (+36%) from domestic and international users over the past year. The reviews scored an average bubble rating of 4.2 – the higher the bubble rating means travellers have more confidence to book, which in turn helps local businesses grow and thrive.”

He added, “At the same time, we are encouraged to see our business owner engagement score in Australia increase by more than 30%[5] year-on-year. Business owners who aren’t yet engaged with TripAdvisor’s global audience should embrace the ability to respond to guest feedback as this not only helps manage their online reputation but also drives new and repeat business.”

Bendigo boom

When combining domestic and international searches, the well-known destinations of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane appear in the top 10 whilst Bendigo, Ballarat and Manly top the list for year-on-year increase in interest.

Bendigo saw the highest year-on-year increase in interest, with a 45% increase in searches[6] and a 60% increase in reviews.

Bendigo also emerged as the most popular destination by searches for domestic travellers while Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane were the favourites of international travellers.[7]  This is the first time Bendigo has appeared in the top destinations list and registering the highest search increase.

Top five Australian destinations by number of searches from domestic and international travellers v.s year on year search increase

Top five most popular destinations by searches domestic vs international travellers  

Bendigo’s rise can be attributed to Bendigo Tourism’s plan to strategically grow tourism in the region over the next five years[8] and its growing reputation as an international art venue.

Ms Kathryn Mackenzie, Tourism Executive Manager, City of Greater Bendigo said, “Over the last 12 months, Bendigo has seen an increase in local and international tourism, driven by its diverse calendar of cultural events such as the internationally-acclaimed Marilyn Monroe exhibition. Technology has also played a big part in this rise as consumers turn to travel websites and apps for travel inspiration, planning and booking, and creating awareness of Bendigo as an arts destination.”

The influx in tourism has also been seen by top rated hotels such as Quality Resort All Seasons, Bendigo. Matthew Ryan, Manager of the All Seasons comments, “We have seen a huge increase in the number of visitors both from local, interstate and overseas in the past year. As more visitors arrive, travel sites such as TripAdvisor have helped us grow our online presence, allowing us to continually deliver the highest quality of service and see new and returning visitors year- on-year.”

TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel site*. Travellers can read millions of reviews and opinions and book their next trip at: www.tripadvisor.com.au.