The tourism sector in New South Wales (NSW) has reached unprecedented heights, surpassing USD 50 billion in visitor expenditure for the first time and leading Australia‘s post-pandemic recovery.
Data from Tourism Research Australia (TRA) reveals that domestic and international travellers injected a remarkable USD 51.4 billion into the NSW visitor economy by the end of December 2023.
Notably, NSW welcomed the highest number of international visitors, accumulated the most visitor nights, and boasted the highest visitor expenditure nationwide. The international segment contributed a substantial USD 11 billion to the visitor economy. Additionally, NSW experienced the most substantial growth in international visitor numbers, nights, and expenditure among all states and territories, with an increase of 1.8 million visitors, 42.8 million nights, and USD 6 billion in expenditure.
Despite the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, international arrivals surged to 78 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with visitor nights and expenditure reaching 90 per cent and 96 per cent respectively, compared to 2019 figures. Key international markets such as the United States, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom retained their positions as top contributors to NSW tourism, with China showcasing a robust recovery as the fourth largest source market. Notably, South Korea demonstrated the fastest visitor growth, while Indonesia and Singapore excelled in nights spent and expenditure, respectively.Sydney, as the hub of NSW tourism, solidified its status as the premier visitor destination among Australian capitals in 2023. It attracted 53 per cent of all international visitors to Australian cities, resulting in 73.1 million visitor nights and an estimated expenditure of USD 10 billion. These figures accounted for 40 per cent and 44 per cent of total nights and expenditure across Australia, respectively.
On the domestic front, NSW experienced a significant surge of 9.3 per cent in domestic visitors, propelling domestic expenditure to a record high of USD 40.5 billion. Regional NSW emerged as a standout, showcasing its natural attractions and experiences, leading regional Australia in domestic daytrip visitor levels.
Nature-based activities and caravan and camping holidays emerged as major attractions, with NSW retaining its position as the top caravan and camping destination in the country. Moreover, over 15 million overnight visitors indulged in nature-based activities, contributing USD 16.1 billion to NSW’s tourism economy.
In January 2024 alone, Australia welcomed 26,200 visitors from India, equivalent to 106 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This surge in Indian tourists is attributed to targeted marketing initiatives, a streamlined and digitised visa application process, and enhanced air travel options between the two countries. The upward trajectory in Indian arrivals highlights the enduring appeal of Australia as a top-tier destination, promising continued growth and mutual benefits for both countries’ tourism sectors.
Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox lauded these achievements, attributing them to the diverse and unparalleled experiences NSW offers across its regions. Cox emphasized the pivotal role of tourism stakeholders in driving growth and job creation in the state, expressing optimism about Western Sydney’s increasing prominence in the visitor economy, especially with the upcoming Western Sydney International Airport slated to further boost visitation.
International Visitor Highlights:
– 3.4 million international visitors, 87 million visitor nights, and USD 11 billion expenditure in 2023
– Visitations rebounded to 78 per cent of 2019 levels
– Sydney received 53 per cent of all international visitors to Australian capitals
– Top 3 source markets: US, New Zealand, UK
– Fastest recovering markets: South Korea (visitors), Indonesia (nights and expenditure), Singapore (expenditure)
Domestic Visitor Highlights:
– 102.5 million domestic visitors, a 9.3 per cent increase year-on-year
– Record domestic expenditure of USD 40.5 billion
– Sydney attracted 36 million domestic visitors, while regional NSW received 67.5 million
– Nature-based activities and caravan/camping remained popular, contributing significantly to visitor spending.
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Internshala Trainings, the leading skilling platform of Internshala, has released a comprehensive report showcasing a remarkable 101 per cent surge in female enrollment in online certification courses over the past five years. This insightful report delves into the evolving landscape of female participation in skill development initiatives, shedding light on the growing enthusiasm and determination of women across India to acquire new competencies in the fast-paced digital era. Notably, in the past year, women accounted for 42.6 per cent of all e-learners.
The report unveils a diverse array of skill preferences among women, with courses in Web Development, Digital Marketing, and Advanced Excel emerging as the most sought-after, constituting 14 per cent, 11 per cent, and 7 per cent of enrollments respectively in the past year. Additionally, there is substantial interest in courses such as Programming with Python, General Aptitude, Financial Modeling and Valuation, Data Science, Human Resource Management, Machine Learning, and UI/UX Design, showcasing a wide diversification of skill sets among female learners.
An insightful analysis of the motivations driving women’s pursuit of online skilling courses reveals nuanced aspirations. While 52 per cent aim to enhance their employability prospects by seeking internships or job opportunities, 32 per cent are driven by a desire to acquire new skills and stay abreast of industry advancements. Moreover, 9 per cent enroll in courses with the specific objective of obtaining certification to validate their abilities and competencies in the competitive job market.
The report also underscores a significant geographical distribution of women participants, with Tier-1 cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Kolkata, and Chennai leading in enrollments. However, a notable trend emerges as 59 per cent of women enrolling in skill trainings hail from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, underscoring the accessibility of skilling opportunities offered through online learning across urban and rural landscapes.
According to insights from the travel fintech platform Scapia, women travellers have embarked on an average of two trips in the last six months, with nearly 56 per cent of all bookings made by women being for solo travel. Scapia’s data highlights intriguing destinations worldwide that captivate Indian female travelers’ interests.
Of particular interest, the report identifies a surge in women’s enrollment during the summer months of May, June, and July, indicating a proactive utilization of leisure time for self-improvement and skill enhancement. This trend reflects women’s steadfast commitment to personal and professional growth. Additionally, the completion rate of online trainings among women was recorded at 50.4 per cent, with an average of 43 minutes spent on e-learning every day.Commenting on the release of the learning trends report for women e-learners, Sarvesh Agrawal, Founder and CEO, Internshala Trainings, remarked, “The significant increase in women pursuing online certification courses underscores their unwavering commitment to personal and professional growth. Women are actively recognizing the value of lifelong learning to keep pace with rapidly advancing industry demands. It is truly inspiring to witness their determination to acquire new skills and adapt to technological advancements and evolving work-specific skills.”
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India is home to diverse and enriching spiritual destinations across a spectrum of faiths. While spiritual tourism has always been integral to India’s travel experience, the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has significantly accelerated spiritual tourism and increased the spotlight on it.
Pilgrimage tourism in India earned per cent1.3 lakh crore in 2022, as compared to per cent0.65 lakh crore in 2021, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Post-renovation, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi experienced an unprecedented rise in footfall, attracting 70 million visitors last year, a dramatic increase from the roughly 8 million who visited in the preceding year, demonstrating the growth of spiritual tourism year on year. It is to be noted that 5 per cent of international travel is attributed to pilgrimage reasons.
Post-pandemic, “Staycations” were trending and witnessed great adoption among travellers. Numerous hotels rolled out staycation packages at attractive prices. Now, post Ayodhya, “Praycations” are gaining significant momentum across all age groups and will gradually scale.
The Ayodhya Impact
Just a few days before the opening of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, at Cleartrip, we saw over 1500 per cent increase in search volumes for Ayodhya across the platform.
Apart from Ayodhya, other notable pilgrimage destinations such as Mathura, Bhopal, Tirupati, and Shirdi have seen over 40 per cent increase in flight bookings in Cleartrip in 2023 compared to 2022. For hotel bookings, destinations such as Mathura, Dwarkadhish, Katra, Kochi, Bodhgaya, Amritsar, Ujjain, and Haridwar have seen over 150 per cent increase in bookings in 2023 compared to 2022. Cleartrip’s hotel bookings have grown by 70 per cent 2023 compared to 2022 among all key pilgrimage destinations.
Initiatives to support increasing demand
With an increasing demand for spiritual destinations, the overall infrastructure development, air/road/rail connectivity to these destinations, stay options, and experiential travel options among others are also improving.
According to Jefferies, a financial advisory firm, Ayodhya is seeing an investment of $10 billion and is expected to attract 50 million tourists per year.
Hotel chains such as IHCL, Marriott, OYO, and Sarovar have already announced plans to increase their hotel capacity in Ayodhya and other key pilgrimage destinations.
In 2015, the government announced the PRASHAD scheme – Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive – to develop the country’s tourism infrastructure, including historical places and heritage cities. The scheme aimed at the creation of pilgrimage/spiritual tourism infrastructure development at the pre-identified 73 destinations in 31 States/UTs. GOI has sanctioned projects worth $200 million as of December 2023.
To attract foreign tourists to Odisha, the state government is planning to showcase its Buddhist heritage at the fifth edition of the three-day Odisha Travel Bazaar (OTB), which is scheduled to start from Wednesday at Eco Retreat in Konark. While spiritual tourism will be the highlight of the event following temple renovation projects, the government will also showcase the tourism potential in beaches, wildlife, heritage and monuments and eco-tourism.
Opportunities that are still untapped
Planning and booking for a pilgrimage or spiritual trip still largely happens offline in India. It also has to do with the specific needs of this segment of travel where day-use hotel rooms are needed for a quick shower, purchase of darshan items and prasad, preference for specific time slots for darshan, the need to cover a religious circuit and not just one destination and more.
Information about spiritual trips is spread across multiple websites, among offline travel agents, and mostly among friends and family.
There is a clear need to bring multiple services online to boost the growth of this segment – spiritual travel-related information online across all content formats, the ability to book darshan slots, increase the selection of accommodation options, offer end-to-end travel needs, offer local experiences and outdoor activities for spiritual travellers, and offer customisable tour packages. OTAs will play a large role in this digital transformation.
The author is the Head of Strategy, Cleartrip, leading online travel company.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETTravelWorld.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETTravelWorld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.
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IndiGo, India’s leading airline, has etched its name in the annals of Indian aviation history by surpassing the monumental milestone of operating over 2000 planned flights daily. This significant achievement not only makes IndiGo the first airline in the country to reach this operational pinnacle but also positions it among the top 10 airlines globally in both frequency and seat capacity, according to the latest OAG Data for October 2023. This milestone underscores the airline’s unwavering growth on both domestic and international fronts.
IndiGo’s daily schedule now boasts 2000+ flights, encompassing cargo operations, as well as charters for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and the Army. Achieving this milestone within a mere 17 years since its inception in 2006 showcases IndiGo’s commitment to operational efficiency, reliability, and customer-centricity.
Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo, commented on this remarkable achievement, stating, “As we celebrate surpassing the milestone of 2000 scheduled daily flights, we reflect on IndiGo’s journey of reshaping the Indian aviation landscape. This accomplishment is more than a numerical feat; it signifies a strategic leap that positions us for enhanced connectivity and a redefined passenger experience. Our commitment to giving wings to the nation is palpable in our mission to connect people and aspirations across India. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued customers and partners for their continuous support as we look forward to soaring to new heights together.”In the past six months, IndiGo strategically expanded its operations by adding over 20 new international routes, solidifying its commitment to broadening global connectivity. With a comprehensive network covering 85 domestic destinations and 32 international destinations, the airline aims to redefine the passenger experience and facilitate connections across India.
Guided by its ‘Reassure, Develop, and Create‘ growth strategy, IndiGo harbors ambitious plans for the future. With an industry-leading order book of nearly 1000 aircraft, the airline aims to double its size by the end of the decade, continuing to expand its network both domestically and internationally. The achievement of the 2000+ daily flights milestone stands as a testament to IndiGo’s resilience and determination to set new benchmarks in the aviation industry.
The expanded partnership introduces four new Australian destinations for IndiGo customers – Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane, with Melbourne going live immediately and Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane to be added in the coming weeks. This development is expected to provide passengers with more seamless travel options between the two nations.
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