CANBERRA - China is undoubtedly a key engine room of growth of Australian tourism - up 16 percent in 2012, on the back of similar double digit growth in 2011 and 2010, Managing Director of Tourism Australia said in a statement on Wednesday.

This comment followed the latest Overseas Arrivals and Departures figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said that to achieve 6.1 million international arrivals and annual growth of 4. 6 percent was a very creditable performance, against the backdrop of a fiercely competitive global tourism marketplace, a persistently high dollar and economic stagnation in a number of Australia's key traditional source markets.

"In many ways, 2012 was a year of transition for our industry, as we continue to adapt to the Asian Century and the enormous opportunities provided by the region's fast emerging and increasingly mobile middle classes." said Andrew McEvoy, Managing Director of Tourism Australia.

"This year China leapfrogged the UK as our second largest source market of international visitors, with more than 625,000 arrivals. But it's not all about China, and that's a message the industry needs to bear in mind as we move into 2013."

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