Visitor numbers for six Australian World Heritage sites from 1996 to 2000

The table illustrates the number of visitors to six different World Heritage sites in Australia across three specific years: 1996, 1998, and 2000.

Overall, the Great Barrier Reef experienced substantial growth in visitor numbers, maintaining its position as the most visited site. In contrast, the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserve saw a steady decline, while Macquarie Island remained the least popular destination, attracting only a few hundred visitors annually.

Regarding the most popular sites, the Great Barrier Reef saw its visitor count nearly double from 1,670,000 in 1996 to 2,950,000 in 1998, eventually reaching 3,200,000 by 2000. Conversely, the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserve experienced a consistent downward trend, falling from 810,000 to 770,000 over the four-year period. The Blue Mountains and Tasmania Wilderness both showed modest, steady growth, ending the period at 581,000 and 483,000 visitors respectively.

Finally, Shark Bay saw a minor fluctuation, peaking at 102,000 in 1998 before dropping to 89,000 in 2000. Macquarie Island recorded the lowest figures, with numbers fluctuating slightly between 310 and 350 visitors throughout the timeframe, representing a negligible fraction of the total tourism across these heritage sites.