Strong performance in the leisure sector has contributed to a 12.2 per cent increase in the number of international visitors who came to Canberra in its Centenary year, according to a media release by Deputy Chief Minister, Andrew Barr MLA.
Yesterday’s International Visitor Survey (IVS) figures from Tourism Research Australia revealed that 181,686 international visitors came to the ACT in the year ending December 2013, up from 161,870 in 2012.
The strongest results in 2013 came from Singapore/Malaysia/Thailand/Hong Kong market with a 37.8% increase on 2012, and New Zealand with an increase of 19.9%.
These figures follow an announcement from the National Gallery of Australia that the Gold and the Incas exhibition attracted over 160,000 visitors from across Australia and overseas.
I must confess, I am a bit surprised. I notice Canberra often left out of Australian travel guides and passed over for international itineraries. Do you think the increase was a direct result of centenary activities or is our status as a tourist destination slowly changing?
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