Backpackers in Canberra spent less time and money in the year ending December 2016 than the previous year according to Tourism Research Australia figures.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Northern Territory and the ACT are the two least popular destinations for backpackers.
Backpacker visits to Canberra dropped 4.4 per cent between December 2015 and December 2016, with nights stayed down 38.9 per cent and total spending by 39.1 per cent.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said backpackers make a small proportion of the Canberra's tourism industry but ACT adventure experiences have been touted as part of a broader Tourism Australia campaign.
"The Government's focus over the past few years has been on ensuring international flights from Singapore and Wellington are a success, and that the ACT continues to attract international students to our tertiary education institutions," Mr Barr said.
A spokesperson for Dickson Central, one of Canberra's two hostels, said it was up to Canberra's hostels to promote backpacker tourism in the ACT.
Thomas Oubin, 25 from the French Carribean and Sarah Bank, 27 from Cologne, Germany, were spending a week in Canberra at Dickson Central.
They agreed Canberra was a quiet destination, with less a focus on partying as other cities.
"It really depends on whether you're a big city person. We're not a fan of big cities," Mr Oubin said.
"[Canberrans] are way more friendly," Ms Bank said.
The spokesperson also said they'd seen no decline in the overall number of visits to their hostel.
"Canberra's never been a major focus for the international market," they said.
"I'm not hearing anything negative [from visitors]; we're trying to make Canberra a destination for backpackers."
The spokesperson said backpackers skimp on accommodation but are willing to pay top dollar for activities.
Youth Hostels Australia marketing head Janet McGarry said backpackers spend more than other international tourists because they stay longer in Australia.
She said it was a pity the ACT government didn't invest in a $10 million backpacker campaign by Tourism Australia.
"Backpackers are the business travellers of the future. They're advocates for the destination. They often repeat visitation," Ms McGarry said.
She said the debate over the backpacker tax could have scared off a good source of labour for temporary seasonal jobs but could not comment if the YHA hostel in Canberra's numbers were down.
