ATIA: More Australians are travelling into Asia

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Increasing numbers of Australians are turning to Asia for travel, with Japan, China, and Vietnam seeing the strongest growth as international destinations, according to the Australian Travel Industry Association’s (ATIA) Travel Trends Report for May 2025.

Drawn from data provided by ABS and the Australian Department of Infrastructure, the report shows a 11.97-million-strong surge in outbound travel to Asia for the 12-month period that ended on 31st March 2025. 

This total is significantly higher than the 10.54 million reported at the end of March 2024. 

According to ATIA chief executive Dean Long: “Australians are travelling abroad in record numbers, particularly across Asia, with Japan and Indonesia continuing to be standout favourites. Equally encouraging is the rebound in inbound travel, led by China, Japan and India, markets that are critical for Australia’s tourism economy. These trends highlight the need for a competitive and reliable aviation and travel sector to support continued growth.”

Where in Asia are Australians going?

Japan was Australians’ preferred destination, registering an increase of 38.4 percent year-on-year.

China came in second with a 35 percent increase, and Vietnam in third, reporting a rise of 26.2 percent, proving that Australian outbound tourism to Asia has recovered well from the pandemic. 

Nevertheless, Bali in Indonesia is still the most visited outbound destination for Australians, with 1.71 million travellers.

This shows an 18 percent increase year-on-year. 

January 2025 recorded the highest monthly departures (1.54 million), while April posted the strongest year-on-year growth at 28.5 percent, driven by school holidays and the Easter break.

The tale of the tape for inbound and domestic tourism

Inbound travel also continued its recovery, with 8.31 million international visitors arriving in Australia for the year ending March 2025, up from 7.78 million the previous year. 

China led the growth with a 25.6 percent increase, reaching 920,700 visitors, followed by Japan and India. 

New Zealand maintained its position as Australia’s top source market with 1.37 million visitors.

On the domestic front, Melbourne-Sydney remained Australia’s busiest air route in February 2025, with over 700,000 seats despite a 11.9 percent reduction in capacity. 

Load factors also improved, indicating more efficient use of available seats. 

Similarly, the Gold Coast–Sydney route experienced a 16.2 percent cut in capacity but saw load factors rise to 92 percent. 

From an aviation perspective, Jetstar achieved the largest growth in international passenger numbers, increasing its market share from 10.3 percent to 12.1 percent. 

Qantas remained the leading carrier, with 683,000 international passengers, despite a slight dip in market share.

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