Chinese visitors boost tourism spending

Cashed-up Chinese visitors to Australia have helped boost spending by international tourists by six per cent to a record $42.3 billion.

Combined with the $65.1 billion spent by domestic overnight tourists, total overnight visitor spending reached a record $107.4 billion for the year ending March 2018.

Almost all states and territories saw growth in international visitor spend, with some recording double-digit percentage increases during the year.

Chinese visitors remain the biggest spenders, up 13 per cent, or $1.3 billion, during the past year to a record $10.9 billion - accounting for just over half of the total growth in spending by international tourists.

Tourism Australia's Dundee campaign has brought more American tourists, with spending up four per cent to $3.8 billion, according to the latest International Visitor Survey released on Thursday.

Sydney remains the number one destination in Australia for international tourists with 4.1 million international visitors.

But Tasmania's global reputation is growing, with international visitor numbers increasing by 91 per cent (to 300,000) and international spending up 107 per cent over the past five years.

Tourism Minister Steve Ciobo said tourism was the "quiet achiever" of the Australian economy.

"We are targeting high-yielding tourists who are going to spend more in our hotels and shops and, importantly, get out into regional Australia to spend their money there too," Mr Ciobo said.

The 2017 China Australia Year of Tourism and a landmark aviation agreement are credited with boosting Chinese visitors.

INTERNATIONAL VISITORS TO AUSSIE LANDMARKS:

* 3 million Sydney Opera House

* 2.7 million Sydney Harbour Bridge

* 1.4 million Blue Mountains

* 1.1 million Gold Coast

* 1 million Great Ocean Road

* 805,000 Great Barrier Reef

* 421,000 Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers

* 388,000 Yarra Valley

* 270,000 Daintree Rainforest

* 187,000 Uluru and the Olgas

* 177,000 Margaret River and Busselton

* 175,000 Parliament House

* 151,000 Australian War Memorial

* 107,000 Cradle Mountain

* 105,000 Barossa wine region

* 63,000 Kakadu

(Source: Australian Government)