Australia Profile: Part Three Tourism

1.     Importance of tourism to country (numbers, origin of tourists)

The 2010-2011 fiscal year saw 5.9 million short-term visitor arrivals. Tourism is important to the Australian economy, representing 2.5% of Australia’s GDP, or A$35 billion.

2.     Major tourist attractions

Popular destinations include the coastal cities of Sydney and Melbourne, as well as the region of Queensland, the Gold Coast, and Great Barrier Reef. Uluru, the Australian outback, Tasmania, and wildlife are also big on tourism.

3.     National parks, wildlife or nature preserves

Some of the National Parks include Royal National Park, Sydney Harbour National Park, Blue Mountains National Park, Lane Cove National Park, and Kosciuszko National Park. Some of the most famous animals include kangaroos, koalas, and platypi. Australia has some of the world’s most dangerous snakes and spiders.

4.     Important museums

The Australian Museum, Powerhouse Museum, National Museum of Australia, Western Australian Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, and Museum Victoria are some of Australia’s most popular museums.