More international visitors are taking the time to visit Phillip Island during their stay in Australia, new figures have revealed.
The International Visitor Survey (IVS), released in September, has shown international tourists are staying longer and spending more on Phillip Island, with a 60% increase in tourist numbers and a 55% increase in average spend in the three year period concluding at the end of the 2016/17 financial year.
Minister Hunt welcomed the growth in international tourism, hoping more international guests would visit.
“This is great news for the people of Phillip Island,” Mr Hunt said.
“We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world and it's nice to see so many people from across the globe visiting Phillip Island.”
“Over the past three years we have seen spending from international tourists increase by 55% on Phillip Island.”
“A growing tourism industry will drive our economy and create more local jobs.”
It comes after the National Visitor Survey (NVS), released last month, showed Australian tourists also flocked to the Peninsula, injecting $351 million into the local economy during the last financial year.
Mr Hunt said he wasn’t surprised tourists were visiting Phillip Island.
“We are incredibly fortunate to live in such a beautiful place with so much to offer,” Mr Hunt said.
“I’m constantly working to ensure we have the right infrastructure in place to further grow our tourism industry and create more local jobs.”
The NVS and IVS are produced by Tourism Research Australia and available at: www.tra.gov.au.