In the race to return to post-COVID ‘normal’ , year to date (YTD) May Student Visa arrival data show only two destinations are ahead of the same time in 2019.
The two? Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
The data is:
| Student visa arrivals | Year-to-date May 2023 | Year-to-date May 2019 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 126,000 | 150,370 | -16.2 |
| Victoria | 104,720 | 145,720 | -28.1 |
| Queensland | 51,590 | 63,480 | -18.7 |
| South Australia | 18,650 | 22,170 | -15.9 |
| Western Australia | 28,600 | 24,560 | 16.4 |
| Tasmania | 2,740 | 5,000 | -45.2 |
| Northern Territory | 1,710 | 1,340 | 27.6 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 8,200 | 12,460 | -34.1 |
| TOTAL | 342,240 | 425,070 | -19.5 |
The data is sourced from here.
Cast your mind back to the start of 2022, it wasn’t that long ago. The national border had opened, and then WA Premier Mark McGowan had just cancelled the opening of the WA state border scheduled for 5 February, which subsequently opened on 3 March. WA was conflicted, and local providers were up in arms. The rest of the country had a significant jump on WA, and many said that closing the first-mover advantage the eastern states had gained wouldn’t be possible for a very long time.
Fast forward 18 months, and the story is a very different one. WA, with the exception of NT, is the only destination ahead of where it was back at the same time in 2019 – 16.4 per cent ahead.
This well surpasses the anticipated “snap back” and compared to other states: NSW (-16.2 per cent); VIC (-28.1 per cent); QLD (-18.7 per cent); and poor ol’ TAS (-45.2 per cent). Something is clearly going on in WA.
Focus was placed on re-establishing relationships with agents from around the world, according to Derryn Belford, CEO of Study Perth, who said, “we have been actively promoting Perth as a study destination that has come of age – focusing on the large choice of courses available from our education and training providers and the significant State Government investment in direct financial and support services for students who have chosen Perth as their place to study. This year we have welcomed more than 500 agents and counsellors to Perth to experience our beautiful city and our institutions first-hand, and we regularly provide updates to agents on new news from Perth. The more that agents know about Perth and our offerings, the more confidently they can recommend us to their students. The visa arrival numbers so far this year show that our strategy is working.”
“In March 2024, we look forward to welcoming some 1500-2000 attendees to the Australia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) Conference in Perth. For us this is another opportunity to showcase Perth and the services and activities StudyPerth offers international students to help them make the most of their time here, including helping them adapt and make friends, and take the first step on the career ladder after they graduate – through our Careers Connect program.” She said.
With growth rates as they are in Perth, accommodation is an area Study Perth is keenly watching with Belford saying “We have a comprehensive page on our website (studyperth.com.au) linked to all major providers, and we include student rates at hotels for those interim nights before a new student’s longer-term accommodation becomes available. We also have a proactive homestay campaign in play, with a new execution to launch soon – asking the people of Perth to open their spare rooms to international students. A couple of hundred Perth residents have joined the homestay program – but we need many, many more, so we are encouraging people to visit homestaynetwork.org to find out more.”
It’s an incredible result for WA, which was indeed behind the eight-ball early on.
