Triple UK & double US: Japan travel surges as total outbound trips grow by 8%

The Australian Government has released its latest statistics on outbound travel – and Asia was the big winner for the month. In total, more than a million (1,044,530) short-term trips were recorded in April 2025, an increase of 80,220 (8.3%) compared with the same month in 2024. 

Growth was even higher when compared to pre-pandemic numbers in April 2019, with 14% more outbound trips recorded.

Looking at the hottest destinations, Indonesia was the most popular country (led by visits to Bali, no doubt), accounting for 13% of all resident returns for a total of 139,910 visits. 

New Zealand was the next most popular port, with 131,360 visits, followed by Japan (107,130), China (67,970) and Thailand (59,920).

Rounding out the top 10 destinations were USA (56,770), Vietnam (54,910), India (44,950), UK (37,460) and Singapore (37,440). 

Japan’s sharp rise in popularity means travel to the Asian nation almost tripled that of traditional hotspot Britain – even when UK visitor numbers remained static – and nearly doubled US travel.

Where’s trending?

When it comes to growth, Vietnam (+28.5%), Japan (+17%) and China (+12.7%) led the way, with Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia also showing large increases. Conversely, travel to the US dropped by 6.2% for the month. 

The latest figures reflect a massive swing towards Asian destinations, where the Aussie dollar stretches further than destinations like the UK, and as many travellers lose confidence in the US (down two places). 

The rise in trips abroad follows another strong month in March 2025, where Aussie outbound travel grew year-on-year by nearly 10% (to 840,080).

Full year

Looking at the bigger picture, outbound travel hit 12.05 million for the year ending April 2025, a healthy 12.1% y-o-y increase, according to the Australian Travel Industry Association’s (ATIA) latest Travel Trends Report (June).

For the full year, Japan grew sharpest (+33.8%), followed by China (+26.9%) and Vietnam (+25.0%).

For inbound travel, Australia saw strong growth in visitors, reaching 8.36 million in the year to April 2025 – up 6.7%. 

Key growth markets were China (+23.4%), Japan, and South Korea.

Why & wherefrom?

The ATIA report reveals that holiday travel continued to rule outbound journeys, accounting for three in five (60%) of trips abroad for the year. 

According to ATIA, the VFR (visiting friends and relatives) market peaked in February (34.8% market share), while business and other travel reasons “remain comparatively low”.

By states and Territories, the highest number of resident returns from short-term trips in April 2025 were from NSW (330,970), followed by Victoria (296,390), Queensland (198,870) and Western Australia (140,090).

“Holidaymakers continue to drive outbound travel demand, accounting for around 60% of all trips,” ATIA CEO Dean Long said. 

“The appeal of international experiences, especially across Asia, remains strong as Australians prioritise leisure travel.

“These trends demonstrate the critical importance of a resilient and responsive travel sector to meet shifting consumer behaviours.

“We encourage Australians to always book through ATIA Accredited travel businesses to guarantee expert service, transparency, and peace of mind.”

Air analysis

In the skies, Qantas led international air travel to February 2025 with 528,000 passengers and a 15.8% share. However, Jetstar grew fastest, reaching 401,000 passengers and 12% market share. Elsewhere, Singapore Airlines also gained, while Scoot and China Eastern saw passenger numbers decline. 

Total international passengers rose from 3.21 to 3.35 million for the 12 months to February.

Short-term resident returns, Australia – top 10 destination countries

* Excludes SARs and Taiwan

All images Shutterstock.