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| 25 July 2008 | Sydney | | | Visa study indicates Australia remains a top destination for U.S. travelers | | |
Visa today unveiled findings from its Visa U.S. International Travel Outlook which revealed that the U.S. dollar’s decline has not dampened enthusiasm for travel and thatAustralia is among the top destinations for U.S. travelers.
The survey, which polled U.S. payment cardholders who had traveled outside the U.S. in the past three years, found that two out of three respondents (63 percent) are equally or more willing to travel overseas compared with one year ago. And half said they are likely to take a trip abroad in the next 12 months, although two in three have shortened the distance they are willing to travel.
Even those respondents not planning to travel internationally in the next year hope to do so at a later date (74 percent). Respondents cited cost of travel (54 percent) and the current state of the economy (49 percent) as deterrents for any short-term planning of overseas travel.
“Even though Americans aren’t going as far this year, they continue to exhibit a strong willingness to travel overseas,” said Chris Clark, General Manager of Visa Australia and New Zealand. “Visa data shows Australia attracted a healthy share of the U.S. tourism market in the first quarter of 2008 despite the weaker U.S. dollar and worries about rising prices.”
Top Destinations for International Travel
According to the 2008 U.S. International Travel Outlook, Canada (46 percent) and Mexico (45 percent) top the list as the most popular foreign destinations for American travelers this year. However, one in six respondents stated that they are likely to visit Australia in the next 12 months, indicating the appeal of experiencing Australian charm and culture, world-class beaches and thriving city nightlife.
In 2007, U.S. travelers spent US$436 million on their Visa-branded cards while visiting Australia, putting them eighth among the top 10 international destinations based on Visa cardholder spending. During the first quarter of 2008, Australia retained that ranking, with US$119 million in Visa cardholder purchases.
Between January 1 and December 31, 2007, the top 10 destinations based on tourist spending on U.S.-issued Visa-branded payment cards were:
| 1. Canada | US$2.9 billion | | 2. Mexico | US$1.8 billion | | 3. United Kingdom | US$1.3 billion | | 4. Italy | US$1.1 billion | | 5. France | US$975 million | | 6. Germany | US$837 million | | 7. Puerto Rico | US$741 million | | 8. Australia | US$436 million | | 9. Spain | US$431 million | | 10. China | US$414 million |
Economic Benefits to the Australian Economy
As American tourists travel to Australia, the local hotel and tourism sector will benefit most from their visits. According to the survey, Americans traveling overseas plan to spend the most money on accommodations (60 percent), followed by food (12 percent) and entertainment (12 percent). In 2007, Visa cardholders spent more than US$92 million on lodging and US$28 million at restaurants in Australia. The average lodging ticket was US$257, while the average transaction amount at restaurants was US$61.
Travelers Prefer Electronic Payment While Overseas
The majority of respondents cited credit and debit cards as their preferred payment methods when making purchases overseas (73 percent), ahead of cash (18 percent) and traveler’s checks (7 percent). Travelers are opting for electronic payment based on its convenience (94 percent), ease of accessing funds (87 percent) and security (78 percent).
Media contact:
Judy Shaw
Visa International
ausinfo@visa.com
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About the 2008 U.S. International Travel Outlook
The 2008 U.S. International Travel Outlook is based on phone interviews with 1,000 adult Americans who hold a credit card or a debit card and have traveled outside theU.S. in the past three years. From May 12-22, 2008, 1,000 respondents were interviewed by Western Wats. Survey results have a margin of error due to sampling of no more than ±three percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
Visa cardholder spending data cited is based on a review of tourism spending on U.S.-issued Visa-branded payment cards internationally and in the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, during the calendar year 2007 (January 1 - December 31, 2007) and the first quarter of 2008 (January 1 – March 31, 2008). These findings are based upon VisaVue® Travel data. Visa introduced the VisaVue® Travel tourism reports to a pilot group of U.S. tourism organizations in early 2008 and plans to roll out the product to a broader audience of state and convention and visitors bureau destination marketing entities later this year.
| | About Visa Inc.
Visa operates the world's largest retail electronic payments network providing processing services and payment product platforms. This includes consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payments, which are offered under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS brands. Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world and Visa/PLUS is one of the world's largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com. | |
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