Overseas business travel has bounced from the effects of the global financial crisis and is now leading the growth in Western Australia’s inbound tourism numbers in 2010.

According to the latest International Visitor Survey more than 33,000 business travellers visited WA from overseas in the December 2010 quarter, up by 42 per cent on the December quarter 2009.

“Business travellers present an enormous opportunity for Western Australia’s tourism industry,” said Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson AM MP.

“Their highest average spend ($1,284) in Australia is on food, drink and accommodation.”

Data from the survey also showed that 212,000 people visited WA from overseas in the December 2010 quarter, up by four per cent on the December quarter 2009.

“Markets such as China are growing very strongly, with Western Australia’s national share of the Chinese market increasing by 109 percent in 2010 compared with the previous year,” Minister Ferguson said.

“The extra airline capacity announced this week allows both Australian and Chinese airlines to make even more flights into and out of Perth with an incentive to stopover at regional airports such as Broome.

“WA also maintains a strong national share of the Malaysian (23 per cent), Singapore (25 per cent) and UK (18 per cent) markets.

“Tourism is a $34 billion industry for Australia, it is our largest services export industry and a major employer in both metropolitan and regional Australia.

“Promoting this industry is a priority for the Australian Government and that’s why we are investing in the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy which focuses on growing skills and investment, side by side with the global marketing work being undertaken by Tourism Australia to encourage more visitors from around the world.”

Minister Assisting on Tourism, Senator Nick Sherry noted that these figures demonstrate WA’s impressive resources boom is also generating positive results for other sectors of the economy.

“Small businesses, from charter flights to conference venues, are reaping the benefits from the accelerating inbound business travel into WA,” Minister Sherry said.