Key Points
- Overseas tourist arrivals are still below pre-pandemic numbers, according to new Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
- Indonesia was the top travel destination for Australians.
- The most significant drop in tourist numbers came from China, the US, and Singapore.
A famous Australian tourism campaign
Now, some businesses that rely on overseas holidaymakers might be asking the same thing.
The number of Australians heading overseas has soared back to pre-COVID levels, but it’s a different story when it comes to those arriving on our shores.
Between 2023 and 2024, overseas tourist arrivals have reached 85 per cent of 2018-19 levels, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The figures show that the biggest declines in tourist numbers came from China, the US, and Singapore.
Daniel Gschwind, a professor of practice at the Griffith Industry for Tourism, said the aviation market is partly responsible.
“Airlines took a long time to put planes back in the air and have staff back engaged to deliver the services that are in demand,” he said.
“A lot of capacity has shifted to shorter routes.”
Some countries, including India, South Korea, and the Philippines drove growth, but it wasn’t enough to match the 2019 volumes.
The number of short-term visitors to Australia increased since last year, but falls short of pre-pandemic levels. Source: Getty / Visual Art Agency
Australian travel boom
Although short-term visitor numbers to Australia haven’t fully rebounded, the data suggests Australians have caught the travel bug.
The number of Australians who have returned from trips between 2023 and 2024 was 32 per cent higher than the year before, according to the ABS.
And in January 2024, these numbers bounced back to pre-pandemic levels for the first time since international travel restrictions were lifted.
Every month since — except May — the number of returned Australian travellers has been higher than in 2019.
The number of overseas tourists arriving in Australia has not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, data shows.
Gschwind said the trend can be attributed to pent-up demand.
“Australians have a long history of travelling overseas, whether that’s for leisure, business, or visiting friends and relatives. We know that a third of Australians are born overseas, so there are many family connections,” he said.
“The desire to travel overseas is high.”
The top travel destination for Australians was Indonesia, with 1.5 million trips made to the Southeast Asian nation.
The surge in travel to Indonesia even outpaced the increase in trips to New Zealand four to one.
Gschwind said it’s likely the result of travellers becoming increasingly budget-conscious.
“We’re certainly seeing the cost of living pressure reflected even in the growth pattern of overseas travel for Australians,” he said.
The United States was the only nation in Australia’s top five destinations where trips were lower than a decade ago, with just 714,300 trips made compared to 970,230 between 2013 and 2014.
Where are the visitors coming from?
The number of short-term visitors to Australia in June 2024 increased by 8.4 per cent on the previous year, with 587,760 arrivals.
Even then, it falls short of pre-pandemic visitor levels.
New Zealanders have continued to fly across the ditch to top the short-term visitor chart, accounting for 18 per cent of all visitor arrivals.
Chinese tourist levels have also , making it the second largest source of short-term visitor arrivals.
Cap on international students
The data also reveals that the number of international students arriving in June 2024 decreased by 11,390 compared to the previous year.
This was also 14.8 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels.
“The shift in policy at the federal government level in terms of attracting international students and issuing student visas, and the constraints that the federal government is imposing on that, will create some headwind,” Gschwind said.
“The constraint applied will impact in future periods on those benefits [revenue] that they deliver to us.”
Amid a slow tourist recovery, Gschwind emphasised that Australia must safeguard its brand.
“It’s a very competitive space. Every destination in the world is keen to attract more visitors because they understand how much benefit there can be from international tourism,” he said.
“Australia really has to protect its reputation and its attributes in sustainability and authenticity.”
He said the focus should be on attracting people to the country rather than a destination-based approach that decentralises the tourism strategy.
“What I will stress is that a level of coordination to present a consistent brand is needed to make sure that the consumer doesn’t get confused by conflicting messaging,” he added.
“At an international level, we have to hunt in a pack. We have to work together.”
With reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
