1 Introduction

The tourism industry is of great significance to the Australian economy, contributing significantly to national income and employment opportunities. Australia has abundant natural resources and cultural heritage, and tourism has become an important industry for the country. However, the wildfires in 2019 and the pandemic in 2020 have severely affected the tourism industry, coupled with the tense relationship between China and Australia, the tourism industry is facing unprecedented challenges, and the sustainability of its international competitiveness is uncertain.

2 Literature Review

The definition of tourism industry covers both basic tourism resources and post construction facilities, and its immobility promotes the development of related industries. Scholars have different understandings of the concept of tourism, but generally believe that tourism is a demand driven industry with characteristics such as a long value chain, high added value, and low pollution. The tourism industry has a significant "multiplier effect" on economic development, but it may also have a "crowding out effect" on the manufacturing industry. The analysis of international competitiveness is mainly based on comparative advantage theory, national competitive advantage theory, and international competitiveness evaluation system. As a special trade factor, the richness of tourism resources can constitute a national endowment advantage. The key indicators for measuring international competitiveness include market share, product sales structure, organizational form, revenue, and number of visitors in the international tourism market. The national competitive advantage model emphasizes the impact of factors such as production factors, domestic demand, related industries, and enterprise operations on the international competitiveness of the tourism industry. The international competitiveness evaluation system of IMD and WEF provides research ideas and methods for analyzing the competitiveness of the tourism industry.

3 Development Status of Australian Tourism Industry

The current development status of Australia's tourism industry highlights its unique geographical location and biodiversity, which provide a unique attraction for the tourism industry. Australia's ocean resources and seasonal climate differences have also brought competitive advantages to its tourism industry. The service industry dominates the Australian economy, and tourism, as an important component of the service industry, contributes significantly to the gross domestic product. Between 2005 and 2010, the Australian tourism industry experienced rapid growth in trade, although there were fluctuations between 2010 and 2015, it resumed growth from 2015 to 2018. The wildfires in 2019 and the pandemic in 2020 have had a significant impact on the tourism industry, but the trade in services still maintains a surplus.

Analysis of the International Competitiveness of Australia's Tourism Industry

This chapter analyzes the international competitiveness of Australia's tourism industry with other countries through three indicators: international market share, trade competitiveness index, and visible comparative advantage index. The international market share of Australia's tourism industry has steadily increased since 2014, surpassing Spain and China after the pandemic in 2020. The Trade Competitiveness Index shows that Australia's tourism industry exports more services than imports, with a competitiveness index of 0.5934 in 2020, surpassing countries such as France, Spain, the United States, and Italy. The Revealed Comparative Advantage Index indicates that the Australian tourism industry had strong competitiveness from 2014 to 2019, and maintained high competitiveness despite the impact of the pandemic in 2020, ranking second among the selected 10 countries. Overall, the Australian tourism industry has shown strong competitiveness and development potential in the international market.

5 Summary and Suggestions

The Australian tourism industry saw an overall increase in trade exports and imports from 2005 to 2019, but experienced a decline in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic. However, the trade surplus reached a historic high, demonstrating its attractiveness and competitiveness to international tourists. Individual tourism is the main component of tourism trade, accounting for about 90%, with education related tourism accounting for 86.13%. By comparing the MS index, TC index, and RCA index, the Australian tourism industry demonstrates strong international competitiveness and development potential. To enhance competitiveness, it is recommended to strengthen the maintenance and management of tourism resources, establish a sound crisis warning mechanism, and promote environmental protection legislation; Promote the exploration and innovation of the tourism industry, develop humanistic and personalized tourism, and enhance tourism brands; Promote the development and improvement of related industries, enhance tourism experience and save costs, and expand the value chain of the tourism industry.