International travel continues to rise, with new government data showing an increase in overall trips abroad by Aussies.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) latest figures, there were 937,320 short-term resident returns in November 2025, a slight increase (<1%) on the 931,990 return arrivals during the same month the year before.
While the rise is significantly lower than the 7.9% growth in October 2025, the number still represents a robust double-digit increase (10.3%) from the November 2019 mark of 849,790 returns, which should buoy the spirits of the travel industry.
The fastest-growing market for the month was China (excluding Taiwan and SARs), which saw 10%-plus growth in Aussie visitor numbers to 61,810 trips.
Unsurprisingly, Japan also experienced huge growth, with 80,620 trips – a rise of nearly 10% – while Vietnam, another high performer in 2025, saw a similar increase to Japan – to 38,930.
Elsewhere, New Zealand witnessed small year-on-year growth – with Aussies making 118,300 trans-Tasman journeys – while it was status quo for India and Singapore.
Among the destinations that experienced a drop-off in Aussie visits, the US saw a massive 20% decline, while Thailand and the UK also witnessed small decreases.
Perhaps the most surprising result was the number of trips to Indonesia – Australia’s most popular holiday destination, thanks mostly to Bali – which saw a significant 7.3% decline in Aussie trips.
Short-term resident returns, Australia – top 10 destination countries
| Country of Stay | Nov 2019 | Nov 2023 | Nov 2024 | Nov 2025 |
| Indonesia | 117,300 | 117,750 | 139,070 | 128,910 |
| New Zealand | 119,100 | 104,160 | 115,460 | 118,300 |
| Japan | 42,620 | 53,830 | 73,590 | 80,620 |
| China | 52,550 | 36,480 | 50,460 | 61,810 |
| Thailand | 41,140 | 46,470 | 57,120 | 53,920 |
| USA | 78,960 | 59,270 | 58,880 | 47,350 |
| India | 37,260 | 37,820 | 46,780 | 46,100 |
| Vietnam | 21,670 | 25,300 | 35,540 | 38,930 |
| UK | 36,050 | 39,280 | 38,910 | 36,640 |
| Singapore | 39,310 | 29,000 | 34,030 | 34,130 |
Short-term resident returns, state or territory of residence
| State or territory of residence | Nov 2019 (no.) | Nov 2023 (no.) | Nov 2024 (no.) | Nov 2025 (no.) | Nov 2024 to Nov 2025 change (%) |
| NSW | 283,970 | 275,440 | 304,160 | 308,940 | 1.6 |
| Vic. | 237,020 | 230,840 | 258,830 | 262,480 | 1.4 |
| Qld | 151,010 | 148,910 | 175,570 | 169,740 | -3.3 |
| SA | 38,080 | 36,890 | 42,100 | 44,050 | 4.6 |
| WA | 107,230 | 100,630 | 119,380 | 120,240 | 0.7 |
| Tas. | 9,420 | 7,940 | 9,380 | 9,950 | 6.1 |
| NT | 7,040 | 5,290 | 6,920 | 5,940 | -14.2 |
| ACT | 15,900 | 14,800 | 15,630 | 15,920 | 1.8 |
| Australia | 849,790 | 820,760 | 931,990 | 937,320 | 0.6 |
Inbound increasing
When it comes to inbound travel, Australia saw a massive increase in visitor arrivals, which should be welcome news for the country’s tourism and related sectors.
According to the ABS stats, 831,170 short-term visitor arrivals were recorded in Australia, a nearly 20% y-o-y lift, to 135,810 trips. The number also represented a nearly two per cent rise compared to the pre-COVID level in November 2019.
Making up nearly one in six visits (15.4%), New Zealand was the largest source country.
