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Travel

Short-term visitor arrivals, resident returns on the rise

Short-term
Credit: Jan Vašek / Pixabay

The latest release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Overseas Arrivals and Departures, dated 14 February 2025, reveals significant trends in international travel.

 

In December 2024,

  1. Short-term visitor arrivals: 945,280 – an increase of 7.8% on one year earlier
  2. Short-term resident returns: 823,000 – an increase of 11.3% from one year earlier
  3. Total arrivals: 1,853,030 – an increase of 8.7% from one year earlier
  4. Total departures: 2,262,020 – an increase of 11.6% from one year earlier
Total overseas arrivals
Credit: ABS

These statistics report on international border crossings rather than people. Most data in this release are rounded to the nearest 10. As a result, sums of components may not add exactly to totals.

 

For visitor arrivals to Australia in December 2024:

  1. A total of 945,280 short-term trips were recorded, an increase of 68,420 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
  2. The number of trips was 12.3% lower than the pre-COVID level in December 2019.
  3. New Zealand was the largest source country, accounting for 14% of all visitor arrivals.

This surge in both arrivals and departures indicates a robust recovery in international travel, likely driven by the easing of pandemic-related restrictions and the resumption of global travel activities.

  1. The three leading source countries were:
  2. New Zealand (133,600 trips)
  3. The U.K. (103,730)
  4. The U.S.A. (95,060).

The ABS data highlights the ongoing recovery and growth in international travel, with both short-term visitor arrivals and resident returns showing positive trends.

 

The increase in total arrivals and departures suggests a strong rebound in tourism and personal travel, which is crucial for Australia's economy.

 

The continued rise in international travel is expected to contribute positively to various sectors, including hospitality, retail, and transportation.

 

In December 2024 there were 39,930 international student arrivals to Australia, a decrease of 1,740 students compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.

 

Student arrivals in December 2024 were 3.2% higher than pre-COVID levels in December 2019.

 

Overall, the latest ABS data underscores the resilience and recovery of Australia's international travel sector, with significant increases in both arrivals and departures.

 

This trend is likely to continue as global travel normalises and more people take advantage of easing restrictions and improved travel conditions.

 

For residents returning from overseas in December 2024:

  1. A total of 823,000 short-term trips were recorded, an increase of 83,400 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
  2. The number of trips was 9.8% higher than pre-COVID levels in December 2019.
  3. New Zealand was the most popular destination country, accounting for 14% of all resident returns.