Australian travellers ended 2025 the way they started it; with a passport in hand and a preference for shorter-haul destinations.
According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) outbound (and inbound) travel data released today, Aussie short-term (less than a year) resident returns totalled 869,410 in December 2025, a year-on-year increase of 46,410 trips, or a 5.6 per cent rise.
Compared to 2019, the gap is even wider, with the number of trips a whopping 16 per cent higher than the pre-COVID level in December 2019.
In terms of where we travelled, New Zealand was our most popular destination, with 123,990 trips (or one in seven journeys), followed closely by Indonesia with 114,460 trips.
Now a mainstay in the top five, Japan placed third (68,150 trips), followed by India (50,770) and the USA (50,340). China, Thailand, Vietnam, UK and Fiji rounded out the top 10 most popular spots for the month.
Short-term resident returns, Australia – top 10 destination countries
| Country of Stay | Dec 2019 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 123,540 | 110,000 | 118,130 | 123,990 |
| Indonesia | 99,680 | 103,570 | 117,160 | 114,460 |
| Japan | 35,410 | 48,310 | 62,570 | 68,150 |
| India | 34,630 | 44,520 | 48,870 | 50,770 |
| USA | 69,780 | 49,540 | 52,650 | 50,340 |
| China(b) | 34,960 | 32,050 | 37,510 | 45,530 |
| Thailand | 32,280 | 34,700 | 43,850 | 44,840 |
| Vietnam | 19,600 | 28,300 | 31,630 | 36,740 |
| UK | 33,950 | 32,090 | 34,630 | 36,100 |
| Fiji | 27,100 | 29,980 | 32,010 | 35,210 |
When it comes to growth, China recorded the largest y-o-y increase with 21 per cent, while Vietnam also saw more than 10 per cent growth.
Elsewhere, Japan saw a nearly 10 per cent rise, while New Zealand (5%), India, Thailand, UK and Fiji also experienced small gains.
Surprisingly, Indonesia saw a slight drop off in numbers, after another fall in November, while the US also saw a small drop.
State-by-state, New South Wales led for trips abroad (274,230). However, the biggest risers were Victoria and Queensland, which both saw nearly 10 per cent increases in trips taken.
Short-term resident returns, state or territory of residence
| State or territory of residence | Dec 2019 (no.) | Dec 2023 (no.) | Dec 2024 (no.) | Dec 2025 (no.) | Dec 2024 to Dec 2025 change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 244,330 | 243,140 | 267,100 | 274,230 | 2.7 |
| Vic. | 195,340 | 196,210 | 214,550 | 231,880 | 8.1 |
| Qld | 156,020 | 156,790 | 172,300 | 187,870 | 9.0 |
| SA | 32,460 | 29,800 | 36,920 | 36,850 | -0.2 |
| WA | 93,770 | 88,240 | 103,410 | 109,910 | 6.3 |
| Tas. | 6,940 | 6,310 | 7,000 | 7,370 | 5.3 |
| NT | 6,650 | 4,570 | 5,220 | 5,340 | 2.3 |
| ACT | 14,020 | 14,350 | 16,350 | 15,770 | -3.5 |
| Australia(a) | 749,660 | 739,600 | 823,000 | 869,410 | 5.6 |
Inbound increase
In positive news for Aussie tourism, 1,036,660 trips were recorded into Australia for December, a nearly 10 per cent increase of 91,370 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
Despite this rise, the number of trips was 3.8 per cent lower than December 2019, showing there’s still some work to do to reach the record pre-pandemic heights.
The largest source market, New Zealand accounted for 13.7% of all visitor arrivals (142,420), followed by the UK (138,610) and US (102,590).
Short-term visitor arrivals, Australia – top 10 source countries
| Country of Residence | Dec 2019 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 143,530 | 125,640 | 133,600 | 142,420 |
| UK | 118,530 | 97,170 | 103,730 | 138,610 |
| USA | 99,900 | 85,200 | 95,060 | 102,590 |
| China(b) | 111,800 | 66,530 | 70,570 | 83,120 |
| India | 44,640 | 43,970 | 52,740 | 46,860 |
| Singapore | 56,300 | 43,330 | 46,110 | 45,410 |
| Japan | 52,030 | 34,000 | 40,070 | 42,050 |
| Korea, South | 31,260 | 36,110 | 38,130 | 39,630 |
| Germany | 29,380 | 22,630 | 26,430 | 26,860 |
| Hong Kong | 37,060 | 25,470 | 24,740 | 26,430 |
KARRYON UNPACKS: Aussies are travelling more than ever — especially short haul. For travel advisors, Japan, Vietnam and China momentum signal opportunity, while inbound recovery reminds us the rebuild isn’t finished yet.
