Australians Turn To Asia For Holidays

By June Ramli

Perth, Aug 13: Australians are increasingly looking to Asia for their overseas holidays, with Indonesia now the country’s favourite international destination and travel to Japan more than doubling from pre-pandemic levels.
New Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data for the 2025–26 financial year shows Australian residents made 12.7 million short-term overseas trips, up four per cent from the previous year and 32 per cent from a decade ago. Around three in five trips were for holidays. But where Australians are choosing to spend those holidays is changing. Indonesia was the most popular overseas destination, attracting 1.78 million Australian resident trips during the financial year and accounting for 14 per cent of the total. That put Indonesia comfortably ahead of New Zealand, which recorded 1.49 million trips and represented 12 per cent of Australian overseas travel. A decade ago, their positions were reversed, with New Zealand the most popular destination and Indonesia in second place.

Japan Surges

Japan recorded one of the most dramatic increases. Australians made 992,550 trips to Japan during 2025-26, making it the country’s third most popular overseas destination. The number of Australian trips to Japan has risen 105 per cent compared with 2018-19, before the COVID-19 pandemic. About 82 per cent of those trips were for holidays. The result puts Japan within striking distance of one million Australian trips a year and highlights the country’s growing appeal as a mainstream holiday destination.

Vietnam Climbs

Vietnam has also experienced a substantial rise in Australian travel. Trips to Vietnam were 76 per cent higher than in 2018-19, adding to evidence that Australians are increasingly choosing Asian destinations for their overseas holidays. The growth in Japan and Vietnam contrasts sharply with travel to some traditional long-haul destinations. Australian trips to the United Kingdom remain nine per cent below their pre-pandemic level, while trips to the United States are down 37 per cent compared with 2018-19. The United States nevertheless remained Australia’s fifth most popular overseas destination in 2025-26, recording 679,600 trips. China ranked fourth with 743,960 Australian resident trips, excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Indonesia Takes The Crown

Indonesia’s rise to the top is particularly significant given New Zealand’s longstanding position as Australia’s closest and most accessible international destination. Australian residents made 1,777,270 trips to Indonesia during the year. That means roughly one in seven Australian overseas trips involved Indonesia as the country where the traveller spent most of their time. The statistics measure a traveller’s country of stay as the country in which an Australian resident spent the most time while overseas. Indonesia’s lead, combined with the extraordinary growth in Japan and Vietnam, points to an increasingly Asia-focused Australian outbound travel market.

Australians Are Travelling More

Overall overseas travel by Australian residents has moved well beyond levels recorded a decade ago. The 12.7 million short-term trips recorded in 2025-26 were 32 per cent higher than 10 years earlier. The figures cover short-term travel of less than one year. Holiday travel dominates, accounting for around three out of every five Australian trips abroad. At the same time, Australia itself is experiencing a continued recovery in international tourism. Short-term visitor arrivals increased eight per cent to 9.1 million during 2025-26. That marked a fifth consecutive year of growth, although arrivals remained three per cent below the pre-COVID record of 9.3 million visitors in 2018-19. New Zealand remained Australia’s biggest source of overseas visitors, with 1.42 million trips, followed by China at 1.13 million, the United States at 755,500, the United Kingdom at 751,420 and Singapore at 448,310. Holiday travel accounted for 45 per cent of international visits to Australia, followed by visiting friends and relatives at 32 per cent and education at six per cent. But for Australian travellers heading in the opposite direction, the trend is increasingly clear. Indonesia has overtaken New Zealand, Japan is booming and Vietnam continues to grow rapidly — putting Asia at the centre of Australia’s post-pandemic travel habits.