Between 2010 and 2019, there was a continuous upward trend in the number of international visitors arriving in Australia. However, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the middle of the 2020 financial year saw international visitors to Australia drop to 6.2 million visitors from 8.6 million in financial year 2019. With lockdowns and travel restrictions all around the world, this trend continued into financial year 2021, with international visitors to Australia only at around 140 thousand people. However, the number of international visitors to the country rose in 2022 and exceeded five million in 2023, indicating a gradual increase from the aftermath of the pandemic.
International tourists’ reasons for visiting Australia
During the financial year 2023, visiting friends and family who live in Australia was the most popular reason to go to Australia among international travelers. Around 1.9 million visited for a holiday, and there were approximately 620 thousand business visitors. Elsewhere, there were about 200 thousand job seekers who travelled to Australia for employment reasons.
How long did tourists spend in Australia, and where did they spend the most time?
In 2023, New South Wales accounted for over a third of all international visitor nights spent across Australia. Victoria was the second most popular state, which can be potentially attributed to a higher concentration of visitor attractions there.
Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023
(in millions)
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Tourism Research Australia. (September 27, 2023). Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/
Tourism Research Australia. "Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in millions)." Chart. September 27, 2023. Statista. Accessed September 19, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/
Tourism Research Australia. (2023). Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 19, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/
Tourism Research Australia. "Number of International Visitor Arrivals to Australia from Financial Year 2010 to 2023 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 27 Sep 2023, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/
Tourism Research Australia, Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in millions) Statista, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/ (last visited September 19, 2024)
Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in millions) [Graph], Tourism Research Australia, September 27, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/