Latest figures have shown the number of international arrivals into Australia increased 3% in the year to 2010 following an upward trend in the first quarter of 2010.

Australia’s top 10 international markets returned to growth in the last three months which fuelled the performance, according to the statistics released by Tourism Queensland and sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Arrivals from the US in the 12 month period jumped 11% to 483,000, its highest number since August 2001 with more air capacity behind the increase. These latest statistics revealed that the rise in arrivals from Malaysia (up 21% to 216,000), Indonesia (up 24% to 114,000) and Singapore (up 8% to 291,000) offset the decline from Japan and Korea.

But Queensland itself suffered a 1% decline in the 12 month period although a 4% rise in the first quarter would seem to indicate better times are ahead.

Editors Comments:  More planes please, more planes, more people - simple equation!