Short-term visitors in December 2021 rose to their highest level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were 245,000 short-term visitors to Australia in 2021, down from 9.5 million two years prior, but signs are emerging the tide is starting to turn for the country’s battered international tourism sector.
At 75,000, the number of net overseas arrivals – the balance of people leaving versus those arriving – shifted in January into positive territory for the first time in six months, a trend that is forecast to continue over the year. Businesses across the spectrum, from law firms to local pubs, have been crying out for the return of foreign work.
About 1000 backpackers and working holidaymakers also landed in the past seven days, and Mr Hawke said about 35,000 visas had been approved since November.
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