Australia saw overseas visitors fall 99% in April amid coronavirus lockdown

[SYDNEY] Australia saw overseas arrivals collapse to almost nothing in April as it closed its borders to fight the coronavirus pandemic, in a massive blow for the tourist industry.

Preliminary data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released on Wednesday showed arrivals of 21,600 in April, down 98.7 per cent from a year earlier. Returning Australian citizens accounted for 15,100 of them.

The biggest decline was in arrivals from New Zealand, which dived by 161,950 to just 1,180. Arrivals from China, where closures had already badly curbed tourism in March, dropped 132,040 to only 320.

Departures from Australia likewise plunged 96.5 per cent to 63,500, mostly foreigners returning home.

REUTERS