A look at our most popular overseas destinations 20 years ago shows some startling things 

A lot can change in 20 years, especially when it comes to where Australians choose to travel. In March 2006, Indonesia barely scraped into our top 10 most popular destinations abroad, Japan hardly registered with Aussie travellers, and the UK outranked almost everywhere in Asia. Fast forward two decades, and the picture looks very different.

Karryon has compared Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) outbound travel data from March 2006 with March 2026 numbers (the latest ABS figures), revealing a snapshot of how dramatically Aussie travel habits have changed over two decades.

Fastest risers

According to the ABS data, Indonesia (thanks to Bali) climbed from 10th place among our favourite overseas spots in March 2006 to second in March 2026 – from just 13,300 trips to 121,980. Though it’s worth noting that 20 years ago, Bali was still recovering from a confidence-shattering series of bombings in October 2005.

Japan delivered another major surprise. In March 2006, the Asian nation didn’t rank among the top 10 destinations, yet reached P3 by March 2026, with 89,230 short-term resident returns.

Vietnam also surged in the rankings, climbing from outside the top 10 to fourth place. India experienced a similar rise, reaching sixth.

Still number one

Meanwhile, New Zealand remained Australia’s number one overseas destination across both periods, with short-term travel numbers rising from 76,300 in March 2006 to 138,040 in March 2026. However, the gap between New Zealand and other destinations narrowed considerably over the two decades.

While outbound travel overall exploded, the United States recorded only modest growth relative to other markets. As such, the US slipped from second position in 2006 to seventh in March 2026.

The UK experienced an even sharper decline, falling outside of the top 10 destinations from third place in 2006.

Elsewhere, Singapore and Thailand also lost ground despite rising visitor numbers, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Fiji disappeared from the top 10.

Travel the winner

The figures also highlight the enormous rise in outbound travel. In March 2006, short-term Aussie resident departures totalled 361,500, but by March 2026, short-term resident returns reached 910,450, representing growth of almost 152 per cent.

While the figures offer a fascinating look at changing travel habits, the comparison is not entirely like-for-like. In 2006, the ABS measured outbound travel by short-term resident departures, while today, it measures short-term resident returns.

The numbers also reflect March travel only, not annual totals, and were almost certainly influenced by airline capacity changes as well as shifting traveller demand.

Short-term resident departures, major destinations – March 2006

Short-term resident returns, major destinations – March 2026

KARRYON UNPACKS: Twenty years ago, Europe and the US dominated aspirational travel. Today, Asia rules the conversation. For travel advisors, the shift reflects changing budgets, air access and evolving traveller priorities.