CANBERRA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Australia's tourism industry lost about 5.8 billion Australian dollars (4.02 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
Tourism Research Australia on Wednesday released the International and National Visitor Survey results for the first quarter of 2020, revealing that spending by international tourists was down 3.9 billion Australian dollars (2.7 billion U.S. dollars), or 27 percent, compared to the same period in 2019.
Domestic tourists spent about 1.9 billion Australian dollars (1.3 billion U.S. dollars) less in the March quarter than they did in 2019, a drop of 10 percent.
The data for the April to June quarter, when COVID-19 hit Australia hardest, is expected to be significantly worse.
Tourism Australia has begun escalating its domestic marketing after Simon Birmingham, minister for trade, tourism and investment, recently encouraged Australians to travel at home.
"With our international borders expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future, our priority right now is getting Australians travelling to parts where we have successfully suppressed the spread of COVID-19," Birmingham said in a media release on Wednesday.
"As some state borders begin to open up in the next few weeks, the best thing that can happen for our tourism industry right now, is for people to make bookings and undertake trips to regions where it is safe to do so, because this will help save a small business or the job of a fellow Australian."
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