According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics earlier this month, Australia looks set to welcome a record 8 million overseas visitors this year.
The most recent data revealed that there were 716,000 arrivals in July, which was a 14% rise year on year. Thanks to a weaker Australian dollar and the rise of Chinese tourism I expect that this trend could continue for some time to come.
This will be great news for these four companies:
Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN)
I see Crown Resorts being one of the biggest winners from the tourism boom. In my opinion its key Melbourne and Perth casinos have positioned it perfectly to capture this tourism growth, especially from Chinese tourists. Furthermore in the future this tailwind is only going to get stronger thanks to its planned six-star Barangaroo casino and hotel development.
Mantra Group Ltd (ASX: MTR)
Although there are concerns that the rise of online accommodation marketplace Airbnb will be a headwind for the company, it seems Mantra's management have dismissed these concerns and believe the company is poised for solid growth. With its shares changing hands at 17x estimated FY 2017 earnings and providing a strong fully franked dividend, Mantra looks attractive to me.
Sealink Travel Group Ltd (ASX: SLK)
SeaLink Travel provides ferry services in key tourist hotspots such as Sydney Harbour and Kangaroo Island. Thanks to the tourism boom it recently reported a 58.8% increase in full year revenue to $176.7 million. I expect the company's acquisition of Captain Cook Cruises Western Australia earlier this year to be a driver of growth in FY 2017.
Sydney Airport Holdings Ltd (ASX: SYD)
Being the main gateway into Australia, I believe Sydney Airport is likely to profit from increasing numbers of tourists flocking through its terminals. Year-to-date there has been a 9.5% increase in international passenger traffic, and I feel confident we will see further rises next year. At 40x estimated full year earnings its shares are looking a little expensive. It might be advisable to wait for a better entry point with this one.
