[Sydney 11th Reuters]-According to data released by the Australian Federal Statistical Office, there were 122,300 Chinese tourists visiting the country in July, exceeding the 12-month average (120,600). However, the annual growth rate was the lowest for the first time in nine years, indicating that the US-China trade war and the slowdown in China's economic growth may have adversely affected tourist travel plans.
The annual growth rate slowed to 1.1%, consistent with the 9-year low recorded in May. This is a significant drop from about 13% at the end of 2017 and early 2018.
Comsec's senior economist Ryan Fersman said that the slowdown is "showing downside risks to the Australian service sector, including higher education," and the US-China trade friction and China's growth rate are the lowest in about 30 years. He pointed out that this is the background.
On the other hand, tourists from Canada and the US have increased against the backdrop of the weak Australian dollar. Over the past year, Canadian and American tourists have been 497,700 and 189,900, respectively. Indian tourists also increased.