Shadow Minister for Tourism Bob Baldwin said Tourism Research Australia's International visitor Survey shows foreign vistor arrivals rising by three percent for the year ending June 2011.
These statistics are supposed to mean that despite the high Aussie Dollar tourists are still coming to Australia.
I believe the rise is probably due to increasing numbers of young backpackers on work/travel visas seeking work in Australia as they can't get employment in their own countries.
While hostels become crowded there are now too many young people seeking work in regional areas (fruit and vegetable harvest) for three months, a requirement which then allows them to apply for a second year visa to remain in Australia.
This is causing many young people great hardship.
Using such entry statistics is misleading as they do not prove tourists are visiting the country for holidays.

Bob holds the seat I live in.
He is the most unlikely person in the world to say something good, or true about this government.
Back packers contribute a great deal to our economy.
And the work they do, is greatly appreciated by farmers/ crop growers, who currently are asking for more freedom to import over seas workers from the Pacific Islands.
Both them and Australia benefit from this.

As belly points out, its the over/seas that's working and not any Convict Australian. The baby boomers and their offspring are sitting sweet on the backs, from where the go times were built upon their ( I don't need to work, my MUMMY and DADDY can buy and save me from working. ( and you wonder why the GOV needs more over/sea's people, you dumb f....s) Everyone's getting smarter and coming here:)

But, she'll be right mate!...lol..OK..if you think so:)

cactus