International visits to Australia peaked up over the first three months of 2010, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

International Visitor Survey quarterly results show that visitor numbers for the March quarter increased to six per cent, night arrivals up to eight per cent and expenditure up to three per cent.

For the year ending on March 2010, figures of visitor arrivals were up to three percent, nights up five per cent and expenditure up to four per cent.

A surprising result was revealed for the first time in many quarters that there was a boom in Japanese visitors, which went up to three per cent during the March 2009 quarter.

During the year ending in March, at least 5.2 million visitors arrived in Australia with 46 per cent for holidays and 25 per cent for visiting friends and relatives.

Majority of the visitors came from New Zealand with more than a million visitors. Ranking next is the UK, while USA and China followed suit. Overall spending for tourists arrival reached $17 billion over the past 12 months.

Only 11 per cent consisted of backpackers and spent 44 million nights in Australia, averaging $600 or $79 per night. Average stay of backpacker visitors is 74 nights.