Leisure travel overtook visiting friends and relatives as the top reason for international travel, with just over 1 million arrivals and 973,000 departures, the highest since the pandemic at 54 per cent and 55 per cent of July 2019 numbers, respectively, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures.
In June 2022, Australia received 730,400 arrivals, including returning Australian residents, a monthly increase of 79,880 trips, while overseas departures numbered 880,860 – a month-on-month uptick of 221,000 short-term trips (less than 12 months duration).
The ABS data also shows that Aussies are taking short overseas trips again with a median stay of 16 days, which is on par with pre-pandemic levels (Versus 14 days in June 2019).
During travel restrictions, Australians were taking fewer but longer overseas trips.
The latest figures show Sydney Airport welcomed 690,304 international passengers in June 2022 (down 47.1% on June 2019), while Melbourne Airport saw 582,072 passengers embark on overseas trips in July 2022, up 25 per cent month-on-month.
Brisbane Airport set a post-pandemic record on 8–10 July 2022 with up to 30,000 passengers travelling through the international terminal.
Despite passenger numbers being below pre-pandemic levels, airports and airlines have struggled to accommodate the surge in travel demand.
Arrivals and departures
Provisional data for July 2022 tells a similar story with further increases in international travel with just over 1 million arrivals and 973,000 departures, the highest since the pandemic at 54 per cent and 55 per cent of July 2019 numbers, respectively.
From 2021–2022, Australia welcomed 1,191,830 visitor arrivals, almost eight times higher than the previous year, with New Zealand accounting for the majority of arrivals (16%), followed by India, the UK, Singapore and the US.
The main reason for travelling to Australia was visiting friends and relatives (VFR), which accounted for 55.9 per cent of arrivals with a median stay of 26 days.
Those arriving for holidays accounted for 17.8 per cent, while business travel was the main reason for 7.8 per cent of short-term trips. Male travellers were most likely to visit Australia for business or employment and female visitors for VFR or holiday.
In good news for the education and hospitality sectors, June 2022 saw 29,480 international students arrive in Australia, and while still 36 per cent lower than 2019 levels, the influx will be a welcome boost for the local economy.
For more info, head to abs.gov.au
