Some 693,200 short-term visitors arrived in Australia in June, the largest one-month total on record. It was 79,400 more than in June 2015, an increase of 12.9%, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

It took the total number of short term arrivals over the past year to 7.8386 million, a record high, and in percentage terms, the fastest annual growth rate since March 2005.

The lower Australian dollar is one of the factors that explain the boom. Majority of the increase is coming from China. 125,100 Chinese, including from Hong Kong, arrived in June, eclipsing January’s previous record of 122,300 and 21.9% higher than 12 months ago.

Over the year, 1.389 million Chinese visitors graced Australia’s shores, well ahead of second-placed New Zealand with 1.322 million.

To put the growth in Chinese arrivals into perspective, the number over the past year was 112% higher than in the 12 months to June 2011, just five years ago.

Compared to a decade ago, that increase swells to 211%. Going back two decades, Chinese arrivals have grown by 590%.

That’s 1.188 million more Chinese over the past year compared to June 1996.

Read original article