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Business travel up 9% in 2005

The number of international business travellers to Australia jumped nine per cent last year, attracted by the nation's booming economy and a more stable world travel environment.

The latest Tourism Research Australia international visitor survey figures found 771,000 business travellers arrived in Australia in 2005, compared to 705,000 the previous year.

Business travellers also spent longer in Australia in 2005 spending 9.5 million nights here compared to 6.9 million the previous year.

Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Matthew Hingerty said the jump in the niche sector came after three relatively flat years following September 11, the SARS scare and the Bali bombings.

He said the strong Australian economy also helped attract business travellers.

"The strength of the economy is important, especially the increasing awareness of Australia's strong links, in particular with China," Mr Hingerty said.

The business travel figures were helped by a strong performance in the business events sector.

Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau managing director Jon Hutchison said while a similar number of business events were held last year as in 2004, there were some very large congresses, including Amway China, which attracted 13,500 people in January.

"We had a very strong year in 2005,"he said.

"But overall I don't really think last year was exceptional for business travel generally.

"There may have been an increase by comparison to the year before, which was reasonably flat ... so perhaps the recovery is still to come."

The survey found overall foreign visitor nights spent in Australia in 2005 rose three per cent to 135.4 million.

Of these, nights spent by holiday visitors rose from 51.6 million to 53.1 million nights in 2005, nights visiting friends and relatives dropped from 25.3 million to 24.3 million, and education visitors rose from 36 million to 36.9 million nights.

Last year the number of international tourists to Australia increased by 5.4 per cent to 5.5 million.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics overseas arrivals figures for January climbed a little less than one per cent to 466,700.