Melburnian1
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
- Posts
- 25,714
The BITRE has issued its February 2019 international air passenger (and freight) statistics in the last few days:
Singapore - Melbourne is now the leading international route for both passengers and freight (although the tonnage of the latter declined in February 2019 compared with February 2018, in line with the occasional media report suggesting that globally, air freight is declining).
For the year to February 2018, air travel in and out of Oz rose by 5.4 per cent.
Fast forward to the year ending Feb 2019 and the increase is not as high - up 4.8 per cent.
Much of the decline can be attributed to how travel into and out of mainland communist China (ex and to Oz, not worldwide) rose by 26.8 per cent in the year to Feb 2018, but "only" 11.3 per cent in the 12 months to February 2019.
No one should sneeze at 11.3 per cent growth but it's the decline that should concern tourism businesses. 4.8 per cent growth is also good - if we do the compounding, that's a doubling in c.15 years - but any trend is more important.
I'd like however to see a few more months' figures to establish if this downwards trend will continue. My hunch is that to some extent it will, but what others think would be instructive.
The share that NZ represents of all international journeys in the year to Feb 2019 compared with same to Feb '18 dropped to 17.2 per cent from 17.7.
When travelling internationally, Australians traditionally used to often book many months in advance, especially for trips beyond southeast Asia.
My inkling is that more of us are booking closer to departure dates, with the possible exception of European trips where we perceive land-based arrangements (hire cars, Eurail journeys, internal air travel and especially accommodation still need to be booked a substantial number of months in advance).
I don't share Mr Alan Joyce's sunny optimism in his comments yesterday about 'leisure travel' and 'international travel' bookings during the next six months. He has data on his side not available to the rest of us but it just doesn't jell with people I ask, who more often than not obliquely suggest they're somewhat reluctant to part to a major extent with their hard earned. This may be a function of the Federal election though.
Singapore - Melbourne is now the leading international route for both passengers and freight (although the tonnage of the latter declined in February 2019 compared with February 2018, in line with the occasional media report suggesting that globally, air freight is declining).
For the year to February 2018, air travel in and out of Oz rose by 5.4 per cent.
Fast forward to the year ending Feb 2019 and the increase is not as high - up 4.8 per cent.
Much of the decline can be attributed to how travel into and out of mainland communist China (ex and to Oz, not worldwide) rose by 26.8 per cent in the year to Feb 2018, but "only" 11.3 per cent in the 12 months to February 2019.
No one should sneeze at 11.3 per cent growth but it's the decline that should concern tourism businesses. 4.8 per cent growth is also good - if we do the compounding, that's a doubling in c.15 years - but any trend is more important.
I'd like however to see a few more months' figures to establish if this downwards trend will continue. My hunch is that to some extent it will, but what others think would be instructive.
The share that NZ represents of all international journeys in the year to Feb 2019 compared with same to Feb '18 dropped to 17.2 per cent from 17.7.
When travelling internationally, Australians traditionally used to often book many months in advance, especially for trips beyond southeast Asia.
My inkling is that more of us are booking closer to departure dates, with the possible exception of European trips where we perceive land-based arrangements (hire cars, Eurail journeys, internal air travel and especially accommodation still need to be booked a substantial number of months in advance).
I don't share Mr Alan Joyce's sunny optimism in his comments yesterday about 'leisure travel' and 'international travel' bookings during the next six months. He has data on his side not available to the rest of us but it just doesn't jell with people I ask, who more often than not obliquely suggest they're somewhat reluctant to part to a major extent with their hard earned. This may be a function of the Federal election though.
