Australian Tourism

Tourism is a large industry in Australia, accounting for just over 2% of Australian's GDP. Interestingly, this large tourism number is mainly from domestic tourists - people already living in Australia exploring the country. About 73% of all tourism in Australia is from this source. Another large source is New Zealand, with tourists often purchasing tourism packages that pass through all of the major attractions.

The largest attraction when visiting Australia is, of course, the Great Barrier Reef, which attracts nearly 2 million visitors each year to enjoy the colorful corals and aquatic life. Australian officials have been careful to minimize the total impact people have had on the reef, both for environmental and economic reasons.

Another attraction is the Sydney Opera House - the iconic building in Sydney built to resemble sails on the open ocean.

Australia has over 500 national parks, and many other marine parks and World Heritage areas. Australia is home to the largest number of different marsupials, such as the kangaroo and koala. This diverse wildlife also spurs tourism and increases demand for exploration through the outback.

As for museums, the oldest museum in Australia is the appropriately named Australian Museum, which was established in 1827. It is home to a large range of different displays and welcomes kids to learn about history. Other museums include the National Museum of Australia and the Museum of Sydney. The Museum of Sydney is particularly popular, due to its prime location in one of the most popular tourist cities in the country.