From boasting one of the world’s largest coral reef systems to vast bushlands and the Outback, Australia’s large diversity of wildlife and landscapes has made it a top travel destination on tourists’ bucket lists. Nonetheless,
of 140 thousand. With Australia’s international travel market taking flight once again following the pandemic and
back in full-swing, Australia’s tourist economy is on track to exceed pre-pandemic levels by 2025.
Inbound tourism: the road to recovery
International visitor numbers to Australia continued to close the gap on the pre-pandemic high of 8.6 million witnessed in 2019, coming in at over five million in 2023. New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States were the
top international source markets of visitors to Australia that year, with arrivals from India also showing significant growth.
New South Wales remains home to the leading visitor economy across the country’s states and territories due to its unrivalled diversity of travel experiences, from tours of the state’s urban gem, Sydney, to taking in the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains. In 2023, the
total trip expenditure of international tourists in Australia swelled to around 34.5 billion, gaining on pre-COVID levels.
Outbound tourism: top destinations and interests
With borders reopened, the Australian population’s enthusiasm to travel abroad has been reignited once again. In 2023,
overseas departures from Australia jumped by almost 6,000 from 2022 figures, with New Zealand, Indonesia, and the United States coming in as the
most popular international travel destinations. While New Zealand ranked as the number one destination by Australian arrivals, the U.S. accounted for the highest
trip expenditure of Australians overseas. Dining out, relaxing at the beach, and shopping are among the
leading tourism experience interests of Australian outbound travelers, according to a 2022 survey. Australian tourists love to seek out local specialties when overseas, from enjoying food from street vendors to shopping for local handicrafts. Nonetheless, with sustainability coming to the forefront of destination choices, some Australians opt to travel closer to home to offset their carbon footprint.
Domestic tourism: exploring their own backyard
Taking domestic vacations and trips remains prevalent among Australians, with
the country’s domestic visitor expenditure reaching a ten-year-high in 2023 and continuing to exceed that of international tourist spending. New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland are the
travel hotspots for domestic overnight visitors. While Sydney remains one of the leading destinations visited by domestic tourists, Melbourne snatched the crown for the most
popular destination visited by domestic overnight visitors for holiday or leisure purposes in the year ended December 2023. Despite the size of the country, driving remains the most common
mode of transportation for domestic tourists traveling throughout Australia. Nevertheless, air travel continues to be vital for longer and interstate trips.
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