Australia’s tourism sector has rebounded strongly, with international visitor arrivals returning to pre-COVID levels in September, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The surge is largely attributed to increased traffic from New Zealand, marking a significant milestone in the recovery of the tourism industry. The Australian Bureau of Statistics is the official source of a wide range of statistics on topics of economic, environmental, social and general interest, informing decision-making and debate in governments and the community. It aims to assist and encourage informed decision-making, research and discussion within governments and the community, by leading a high quality, responsive and user-focused national statistical service.
Short-term visitor arrivals reached 696,500, a 10.4 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, 1.05 million Australians returned from overseas, representing a 2.9 per cent rise. New Zealand accounted for 19.5 per cent of total arrivals, approximately 10,000 higher than the figures recorded in 2019, highlighting the strong trans-Tasman travel activity.
While arrivals from China remained below pre-pandemic levels at 83,000 visitors compared to 99,000 in 2019, several other countries have exceeded their pre-pandemic figures. The United Kingdom, Singapore, India, South Korea, and Indonesia have all shown stronger visitation numbers than in 2019, indicating a diversified recovery across different markets.
New South Wales recorded the highest number of short-term visitors among Australian states, with 256,380 arrivals. This underscores the state’s popularity as a key destination for international tourists and its central role in the overall recovery of Australia’s tourism industry.
