tourism in sydney statistics

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Tourism in Sydney - statistics and facts

How many tourists visit sydney, popular tourist attractions in sydney, from festivals to football fields, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by country of residence

Leading holiday destinations visited by international arrivals to Australia 2023

Leading holiday destinations of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by state visited

Leading destinations of international visitors to see friends/family Australia 2023

Theatre & Performing Arts

Selected performance arts centers most posted about on Instagram globally 2022

Further recommended statistics

• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2010-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations visited by international arrivals to Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations of domestic visitors on day trips Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of visitors at Sydney Airport Australia Feb 2019-Dec 2023, by passenger type

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2010-2023

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in millions)

Leading destinations visited by international arrivals to Australia 2023

Leading destinations visited by international visitor arrivals to Australia in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2014-2023

Number of domestic overnight visitors in Australia from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)

Leading destinations of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023

Leading destinations visited by domestic overnight visitors in Australia in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2014-2023

Number of domestic day visitors in Australia from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)

Leading destinations of domestic visitors on day trips Australia 2023

Leading destinations visited by domestic visitors on day trips in Australia in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of visitors at Sydney Airport Australia Feb 2019-Dec 2023, by passenger type

Monthly number of passenger visitors at Sydney Airport in Australia from February 2019 to December 2023, by passenger type (in millions)

International visitation

• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors NSW Australia 2023, by region visited
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by country of residence
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of international visitors NSW Australia 2023, by region visited

Number of international visitor arrivals to New South Wales, Australia in 2023, by region or city visited (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023

Number of international visitor arrivals to Sydney, Australia from 2014 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitor arrivals to Sydney, Australia in 2023, by country of residence (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of international visitor arrivals to Sydney, Australia in 2023, by purpose of visit (in 1,000s)

Domestic visitation

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip
• Premium Statistic Domestic visitor expenditure Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by state of origin
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia 2022, by precinct
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Sydney, Australia 2023

Number of domestic visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip

Number of domestic visitors to Sydney, Australia from 2014 to 2023, by type of trip (in millions)

Domestic visitor expenditure Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip

Trip expenditure of domestic visitors to Sydney, Australia from 2014 to 2023, by type of trip (in billion Australian dollars)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by state of origin

Number of domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia in 2023, by state of origin (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by purpose

Number of domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia from 2014 to 2023, by purpose of visit (in 1,000s)

Domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia 2022, by precinct

Distribution of domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia in 2022, by precinct

Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Sydney, Australia 2023

Distribution of travel party types among domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia in 2023

Key attractions and events

• Premium Statistic Events attendance of overnight tourists to Sydney, Australia FY 2023, by visitor type
• Premium Statistic Sydney Opera House events attendance Australia FY 2023, by event
• Premium Statistic Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens visitation Australia FY 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Vivid Sydney festival attendance Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Sydney WorldPride attendance Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic FIFA Women's World Cup attendance Sydney, Australia 2023, by match
• Premium Statistic Bondi Festival attendance Sydney, Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Hotel occupancy rates during major events Sydney, Australia 2023-2024

Events attendance of overnight tourists to Sydney, Australia FY 2023, by visitor type

Number of overnight visitors attending events in Sydney, Australia in financial year 2023, by visitor type (in 1,000s)

Sydney Opera House events attendance Australia FY 2023, by event

Number of Sydney Opera House events attendees in Australia in financial year 2023, by event (in 1,000s)

Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens visitation Australia FY 2017-2023

Number of visitors to the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens in Australia from financial year 2017 to 2023 (in millions)

Vivid Sydney festival attendance Australia 2023

Number of Vivid Sydney attendees in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Sydney WorldPride attendance Australia 2023

Number of Sydney WorldPride attendees in 2023 (in 1,000s)

FIFA Women's World Cup attendance Sydney, Australia 2023, by match

Number of FIFA Women's World Cup attendees in Sydney, Australia in 2023, by match

Bondi Festival attendance Sydney, Australia 2023

Number of Bondi Festival attendees in Sydney, Australia in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Hotel occupancy rates during major events Sydney, Australia 2023-2024

Average hotel occupancy rates during major events in Sydney, Australia from 2023 to 2024

Spotlight: Western Sydney

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2019-2022, by type of trip
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Western Sydney, Australia 2022
• Premium Statistic Popular activities of domestic overnight visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022
• Premium Statistic Popular activities of domestic day visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022

Number of domestic visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2019-2022, by type of trip

Number of domestic visitors to Western Sydney, Australia from 2019 to 2022, by type of trip (in millions)

Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Western Sydney, Australia 2022

Distribution of travel party types among domestic overnight visitors to Western Sydney, Australia in 2022

Popular activities of domestic overnight visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022

Popular activities among domestic overnight visitors to Western Sydney, Australia in 2022

Popular activities of domestic day visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022

Popular activities among domestic day visitors to Western Sydney, Australia in 2022

Further reports

Get the best reports to understand your industry.

• Travel and tourism in Australia
• Tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific region
• London as a UK tourism hotspot
• Domestic tourism in Australia

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Sydney statistics

Find the most recent updates on visitation figures to Sydney, the international gateway to Australia.

36.0 million

30.7 million

EXPENDITURE

$15.0 billion

Quarterly snapshot: travel to Sydney

Sydney is the international gateway to Australia and its number one destination for domestic and international visitors.

Sydney was number one among all Australian capital cities for total domestic visitors (28 per cent) and nights (24 per cent) in the year ending December 2023.

Data in this section is sourced from the Tourism Research Australia (TRA) National Visitor Survey (NVS) and International Visitor Survey (IVS). TRA is a branch within Austrade and is Australia's leading provider of visitor economy intelligence across both international and domestic markets.

Latest release

• Travel to Sydney snapshot: December 2023 PDF
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Time series – travel to Sydney

Destination NSW tracks data from 2013 to 2023 via its ‘Time series – travel to Sydney’ to help businesses predict visitor demand .

• Travel to Sydney time series: December 2023 PDF

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Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Tourism in Sydney - statistics and facts

How many tourists visit sydney, popular tourist attractions in sydney, from festivals to football fields, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by country of residence

Leading holiday destinations visited by international arrivals to Australia 2023

Leading holiday destinations of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by state visited

Leading destinations of international visitors to see friends/family Australia 2023

Theatre & Performing Arts

Selected performance arts centers most posted about on Instagram globally 2022

Further recommended statistics

• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2010-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations visited by international arrivals to Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations of domestic visitors on day trips Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of visitors at Sydney Airport Australia Feb 2019-Dec 2023, by passenger type

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2010-2023

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in millions)

Leading destinations visited by international arrivals to Australia 2023

Leading destinations visited by international visitor arrivals to Australia in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2014-2023

Number of domestic overnight visitors in Australia from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)

Leading destinations of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023

Leading destinations visited by domestic overnight visitors in Australia in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2014-2023

Number of domestic day visitors in Australia from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)

Leading destinations of domestic visitors on day trips Australia 2023

Leading destinations visited by domestic visitors on day trips in Australia in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of visitors at Sydney Airport Australia Feb 2019-Dec 2023, by passenger type

Monthly number of passenger visitors at Sydney Airport in Australia from February 2019 to December 2023, by passenger type (in millions)

International visitation

• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors NSW Australia 2023, by region visited
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by country of residence
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of international visitors NSW Australia 2023, by region visited

Number of international visitor arrivals to New South Wales, Australia in 2023, by region or city visited (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023

Number of international visitor arrivals to Sydney, Australia from 2014 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitor arrivals to Sydney, Australia in 2023, by country of residence (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of international visitor arrivals to Sydney, Australia in 2023, by purpose of visit (in 1,000s)

Domestic visitation

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip
• Premium Statistic Domestic visitor expenditure Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by state of origin
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia 2022, by precinct
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Sydney, Australia 2023

Number of domestic visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip

Number of domestic visitors to Sydney, Australia from 2014 to 2023, by type of trip (in millions)

Domestic visitor expenditure Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip

Trip expenditure of domestic visitors to Sydney, Australia from 2014 to 2023, by type of trip (in billion Australian dollars)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by state of origin

Number of domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia in 2023, by state of origin (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by purpose

Number of domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia from 2014 to 2023, by purpose of visit (in 1,000s)

Domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia 2022, by precinct

Distribution of domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia in 2022, by precinct

Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Sydney, Australia 2023

Distribution of travel party types among domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia in 2023

Key attractions and events

• Premium Statistic Events attendance of overnight tourists to Sydney, Australia FY 2023, by visitor type
• Premium Statistic Sydney Opera House events attendance Australia FY 2023, by event
• Premium Statistic Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens visitation Australia FY 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Vivid Sydney festival attendance Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Sydney WorldPride attendance Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic FIFA Women's World Cup attendance Sydney, Australia 2023, by match
• Premium Statistic Bondi Festival attendance Sydney, Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Hotel occupancy rates during major events Sydney, Australia 2023-2024

Events attendance of overnight tourists to Sydney, Australia FY 2023, by visitor type

Number of overnight visitors attending events in Sydney, Australia in financial year 2023, by visitor type (in 1,000s)

Sydney Opera House events attendance Australia FY 2023, by event

Number of Sydney Opera House events attendees in Australia in financial year 2023, by event (in 1,000s)

Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens visitation Australia FY 2017-2023

Number of visitors to the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens in Australia from financial year 2017 to 2023 (in millions)

Vivid Sydney festival attendance Australia 2023

Number of Vivid Sydney attendees in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Sydney WorldPride attendance Australia 2023

Number of Sydney WorldPride attendees in 2023 (in 1,000s)

FIFA Women's World Cup attendance Sydney, Australia 2023, by match

Number of FIFA Women's World Cup attendees in Sydney, Australia in 2023, by match

Bondi Festival attendance Sydney, Australia 2023

Number of Bondi Festival attendees in Sydney, Australia in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Hotel occupancy rates during major events Sydney, Australia 2023-2024

Average hotel occupancy rates during major events in Sydney, Australia from 2023 to 2024

Spotlight: Western Sydney

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2019-2022, by type of trip
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Western Sydney, Australia 2022
• Premium Statistic Popular activities of domestic overnight visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022
• Premium Statistic Popular activities of domestic day visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022

Number of domestic visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2019-2022, by type of trip

Number of domestic visitors to Western Sydney, Australia from 2019 to 2022, by type of trip (in millions)

Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Western Sydney, Australia 2022

Distribution of travel party types among domestic overnight visitors to Western Sydney, Australia in 2022

Popular activities of domestic overnight visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022

Popular activities among domestic overnight visitors to Western Sydney, Australia in 2022

Popular activities of domestic day visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022

Popular activities among domestic day visitors to Western Sydney, Australia in 2022

Further reports

Get the best reports to understand your industry.

• Travel and tourism in Australia
• Tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific region
• London as a UK tourism hotspot
• Domestic tourism in Australia

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Sydney Tourism Statistics

Page last updated: 02 March 2023

Table of Contents

How many tourists visit Sydney each year?

• Domestic visitors were up 55% when compared with the over 5.6 million from 2021 (year ending September 2021)
• Data for international visitors is not yet available for this period

How much did visitors spend in Sydney in 2022?

• Spending was up 84.8% when compared with the over $4.1 billion spent during 2021 (year ending September 2021)

How many people visited Sydney in 2021?

• Visitors were down 30% when compared with the over 2.3 million visitors of the first quarter of 2020.

How much did visitors spend in Sydney in 2021?

• Spending was down 57.5% when compared with the over $1.7 billion spent during the first quarter of 2020.

How many tourists visited Sydney in 2020?

• This total was made up of 1.9 million international visitors and 7.4 million domestic visitors.
• Visitors were down 43% when compared to the 16.4 million visitors for the corresponding 12 month period ending in September 2019.

How much did tourists spend in Sydney in 2020?

• International visitors spent over $4.6 billion while domestic visitors contributed $4.9 billion.
• Spending was down 51.7% when compared to the $19.7 billion spent in the corresponding 12 months ending in September 2019.

How many tourists visited Sydney in 2019?

A total of 16.1 million tourists visited Sydney from July 2018 to June 2019. 1

• This total included 4.1 million international tourists and 12 million domestic overnight visitors.

Sydney tourism through the years

• Between 2009 and 2019, the number of domestic visitors to Sydney increased by over 37% and the number of international visitors by 60.6%.
• The majority of this growth happened after 2015.
• Total visitors to Sydney increased by 27% in just three years (2016-2019).

Sydney - Australia’s number one tourist destination

• In 2019, Sydney was the most visited destination in Australia for both international and domestic travellers with a total of 16.1 million visitors.

How much money did Sydney make from tourism in 2019?

• At $19.5 billion, Sydney ranked first in Australia for highest overall visitor spend in 2018/19.
• International visitors spent the most at $10.2 billion.
• Domestic visitors spent a total of $9.3 billion.

How much did international tourists spend per night?

• International visitors spent an average of $123 per night on trips to Sydney.
• This equates to an average trip spend of $2499 per visitor.

How long do international tourists stay in Sydney?

• International tourists stay in Sydney for an average of 20 nights, the 3rd highest in all of Australia.
• The longest average stay was Melbourne, with 22 nights.

Top tourist spots in Sydney - Visitor Statistics

How many people visit the sydney opera house each year.

• More than 10.9 million people visit the Sydney Opera House each year. 2

How many people visit Bondi Beach every year?

• 2.9 million people visited Bondi Beach for the year ending March 2018. 3
• 1.8 million were international visitors.
• 1.1 million were domestic visitors.

How many people visit the Sydney Harbour Bridge each year?

• More than 10.9 million people visit each year the Sydney Opera House, nearby the Sydney Harbour Bridge. While specific numbers for the Sydney Harbour Bridge aren’t available, the bridge is consistently cited by tourists as one of the top reasons to visit Sydney.
• More than 150,000 vehicles cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge each day. 4

How many tourists visit New South Wales each year?

Over 33 million travellers visited NSW in the year ending June 2020

• Read more NSW tourism statistics

Sydney camping & campervan statistics

• The number of camping trips throughout New South Wales has grown by 14.5% over the 10-year period from 2008 to 2018. 5
• In 2018 over 2.2 million overnight camping trips were made in New South Wales.
• Camping trips – including caravan, campervan, commercial and non-commercial camping – made up 15% of visitor nights for domestic travellers to New South Wales in 2019 (year ending September)

Other resources

• Sydney campervan hire comparison
• Other key campervan locations in Australia: Melbourne , Brisbane , Cairns and Tasmania

Travel Statistics Resources

• Adelaide Statistics
• Brisbane Statistics
• Cairns Statistics
• Gold Coast Statistics
• Melbourne Statistics
• New South Wales Statistics
• Perth Statistics
• Tasmania Statistics
• Victoria Statistics

Global Statistics

• New Zealand Tourism Statistics
• TRA : International Visitor Survey, National Visitor Survey ↩
• Sydney Opera House : Facts About the Sydney Opera House ↩
• Destination NSW : Research & Statistics ↩
• Sydney : About Sydney Harbour Bridge ↩
• TRA : International Visitor Survey, Trends 2019, National Visitor Survey, Trends 2019 ↩

City economy

Sydney’s tourism renaissance

International visits soar to 82% of pre-pandemic levels, led by student surge

Sydney has retained its status as a vibrant global destination, showcasing a remarkable tourism resurgence.

Our latest data shows while English-speaking visitors lead the comeback, a record-breaking surge in international students adds a dynamic twist, propelling Sydney into a new era of cultural and educational prominence.

The city insight reports keeps its finger on the pulse of local economic activity. View the highlights below.

Sydney’s tourism rebound

International tourist arrivals have reached 87% of pre-pandemic levels, with over 230,000 visitors arriving in August.

Visitors from English speaking countries, including New Zealand, the UK and US, have recovered strongly at 95% of previous levels. But important Asian markets have been slower to return to Sydney, with Chinese tourism at just 50% of 2019 levels.

Group travel, traditionally popular with travellers from Asian markets, has declined. Only 7.4% of visitors are travelling in group tours in 2023 compared with 16.9% in 2019.

Visitors staying longer

While overall tourism numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels, visitors are staying in Australia for longer at 13.2 nights on average, 3 nights longer than in 2019.

One possible explanation is international visitors in 2023 are more likely to be visiting friends and relatives. This travel purpose is the primary motivation for 23% of international travellers, compared with 15% in 2019.

International students hit record numbers

International student numbers have strongly rebounded and now exceed pre-pandemic levels. There are now 192,218 students from overseas enrolled in inner Sydney, 11% more than in 2019.

International student growth has been particularly strong from China and India, with the number of new students enrolling to study in NSW from these countries doubling from 2022. India has overtaken Nepal to become the 2nd largest origin of new international students in NSW.

Students seeking higher qualifications

Among new students enrolling to study in NSW, there has been a shift towards higher education courses. 47% of new international student enrolments are in higher education qualifications, up from 35% in 2019.

This shift in qualifications will likely have an impact on the broader economy, with more highly-skilled international students graduating in coming years.

The Vivid effect

Public transport use, one of the slowest areas to rebound from the pandemic, increased by 8.7% from June to October. June was particularly strong on Friday, Saturday and Sundays, with public transport use after 6pm 40% higher than usual.

Want to dive into more detail about Sydney’s business and economic recovery? Explore our November City Insights snapshot .

Published 4 December 2023, updated 14 February 2024

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Stats & Facts

Find the facts, figures and tourism insights you need to understand the latest trends in domestic and international tourism arrivals to New South Wales.

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40+ Sydney Tourism Statistics, Numbers and Trends

Updated on June 27, 2022 by Axel Hernborg

Sydney is the largest and also most popular city in Australia, visited by millions of tourists each year.

What sets Sydney apart from other cities is the beautiful and world-famous Harbour, the unique landmarks such as the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, a great climate, and a stunning coastline with countless beaches.

Sydney and NSW are firmly established as global tourist destinations and Tourism is one of the state’s most important industries. Known for its luxury and high-end buildings and hotels, it is the 12th most expensive city in the world. 

Here are some of the city’s key tourism trends and statistics

Table of contents

• 1 PRE & POST PANDEMIC TRENDS
• 2 DEMOGRAPHY
• 3 MOTIVES & HABITS
• 4 OTHER TRENDS
• 5 REFERENCES

PRE & POST PANDEMIC TRENDS

• In 2019, Sydney was the most visited destination in Australia for both international and domestic travelers with a total of 16.1 million visitors.
• The total domestic and international spending for the year ending March 2019 was $21.9 billion.
• There were 39.3 million domestic and international visitors to Sydney for the year ending March 2019.
• Domestic and international visitors spent 113.3 million nights in Sydney.
• In the year ending March 2019, there was a total of 11.4 million domestic overnight visitors to Sydney.
• For 2020/21, there were 73,416 international visitors nights in the City of Sydney, accounting for 0.6% of the total visitor nights.
• In the 5 years up to 2020/21, there were an average of 1,833,741 international visitors to the City of Sydney.
• The average length of stay for international visitors was 10 days, lower than the average for New South Wales.
• In the 5 years up to 2019/20, International visitors to the City of Sydney were more likely to be visiting on Holiday, accounting for 64.2% of all visitors.
• The total number of nights spent in Sydney by domestic overnight tourists was 31 million, and the average length of stay in the region was 2.7 nights.
• In the year ending March 2019, there was a total of 23.8 million domestic daytime visitors to Sydney.
• 39% of domestic overnight visitors came from regional New South Wales. 22% visited from Victoria and 15% came from Queensland.
• The top five international source markets to Sydney in the year ending March 2019 were as follows, 18% from China, 12% from the United States, 9% from New Zealand, 7.8% from the United Kingdom, and 5% from Korea.
• The Sydney Royal Easter Show is home to Australia’s largest carnival providing hours of fun for everyone.
• In 2019, 23% of domestic overnight visitors were aged 15-29 years old, 18.5% were 40-49 years old and 17.5% were 50-59 years old.
• 30% of international visitors to Sydney were aged between 15-29 years of age. 18.6% were aged between 30-39 years and 16.8% were aged from 50-59 years of age.

MOTIVES & HABITS

• International visitors spent an average of $123 per night on trips to Sydney.
• This equates to an average trip spend of $2499 per visitor.
• International tourists stay in Sydney for an average of 20 nights, the 3rd highest in all of Australia.
• The total nights spent in Sydney by international travelers was 82.3 million nights which is up 3.1% on the previous year.
• 31.5% of international tourists came to Sydney to receive an education, 28% came for holidays and 27% came to visit friends and relatives 27%.
• 34% of domestic overnight visitors came for the purpose of business. 33% came to visit family and friends and 26% came for holidays.
• The total spending of domestic day trip visitors in Sydney was $2.7 billion, and the average spending per visitor was $114.
• The total spend of domestic overnight visitors in Sydney was $9.1 billion and the average spend per night was $293.
• 43% of day-trip visitors to Sydney came for the purpose of holidays, 31% of visitors came to visit friends and relatives and 13% came for business purposes.

OTHER TRENDS

• Sydney is the first stop on most Australian travel itineraries thanks to the great number of attractions and the largest airport in the country.
• Sydney is the most prominent arrival gateway for Chinese tourists to Australia.
• NSW is increasingly popular with tourists from the nearby Asia Pacific, given the rising middle class in this region and more affordable airfares.
• February has been the most popular month for arrivals from China in the last couple of years.
• Over 33 million travelers visited NSW in the year ending June 2020.
• The Opera House is synonymous with Sydney as a city. The uniqueness of the design of the Opera House has seen the building declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• More than 10.9 million people visit each year the Sydney Opera House, nearby the Sydney Harbour Bridge. While specific numbers for the Sydney Harbour Bridge aren’t available, the bridge is consistently cited by tourists as one of the top reasons to visit Sydney.
• More than 150,000 vehicles cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge each day.
• The number of camping trips throughout New South Wales has grown by 14.5% over the 10-year period from 2008 to 2018.
• In 2018 over 2.2 million overnight camping trips were made in New South Wales.
• Camping trips – including caravan, campervan, commercial and non-commercial camping – made up 15% of visitor nights for domestic travelers to New South Wales in 2019 (year ending September)
• As of September 2021, 17 percent of hotels in Sydney, Australia, were luxury hotels. The upscale and upper-upscale category was the most commonly available type of hotel in the city at 45 percent, whereas the midscale and upper-midscale categories accounted for 22 percent of total hotels.
• Since early 2021, hotels in Sydney started to show signs of recovery.
• The Australian tourism industry is expected to rebound strongly within the next few years, reporting over 53.6 million U.S. dollars in international tourism expenditure by 2025.
• In the Sydney cruise industry, it just resumed operations this year April 2022.
• The first cruise ship to arrive in Sydney since the industry was banned in March 2020.
• The Australian cruise industry has shown an 11.2% increase in its total value to the national economy, contributing $5.2 billion in direct and indirect output during the 2018-19 financial year.
• 1,240 cruise ship visits led to 3.8 million passenger and crew visit days, resulting in direct expenditure by passengers, crew, and cruise lines totaling $2.5 billion.
• At the start or end of a cruise, international visitors spent the most per day on shore, averaging $569 each, compared to domestic travellers who spent $436 per day.
• The food and beverage sector accounted for almost $274 million or 20.3% of passenger spend, followed by transport ($196 million, 14.5%), retail ($159 million, 11.7%), shore excursions ($133 million, 9.8%) and entertainment ($59 million, 4.4%).

https://www.destinationnsw.com.au/tourism/facts-and-figures/sydney-tourism-statistics/sydney-precinct-visitor-profiles

https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/travel-insurance/research/sydney-tourism-statistics.html

https://camperchamp.com.au/statistics/australia/sydney-tourism/#how-many-tourists-visit-sydney-each-year

https://www.australiaonlinevisas.com/most-visited-cities-of-australia/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1284901/australia-sydney-hotels-by-category/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-18/first-cruise-ship-for-two-years-docks-in-sydney/100996860

https://www.cruising.org.au/ccms_r?PageID=10267&tenid=CLIA

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Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island, South Australia © Julie Fletcher

International Market Performance Statistics

Find the latest performance by country and purpose, places international visitors visited in Australia, how many stopovers they made, the place of origin of international visitors and trend charts on arrivals and spend.

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In this section are two interactive dashboards that directly connect with the key tourism data sources:

• The market performance chart can be filtered by market of origin and will show a range of data including how much they spent, places they visited and trend charts on arrivals and spend.
• The visitor arrivals chart further down the page will show more up-to-date statistics on international visitor arrivals as it is based on the ABS data which is released monthly. 

Quarterly market performance

• Use the dropdown filters to customise the report
• Use the arrow on the bottom bar to click through to the other reports
• Hover over the bar and line charts to see more information
• To click on more than one filter selection, hold down the CTRL key.
• To make the report larger, click on the double sided arrow icon on the bottom right on the grey bar

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on international travel to Australia so this chart is not being updated regularly. You can find out the latest International Visitor Survey results  here  and see an International Tourism Snapshot  here . 

Monthly visitor arrivals

Visitor arrivals highlights for march 24.

• There were 761 thousand visitor arrivals during the month of March 2024, down 9% relative to March 2019.
• There were 7.8 million visitor arrivals for year ending March 2024, a decrease of 18% when compared to Calendar Year 2019.

Interactive arrivals dashboard

Use the date and market drop-down filters on the interactive dashboard below to view the number of international arrivals who visit Australia on a monthly and year ending basis.

Upcoming release dates

Further resources.

Domestic market performance statistics

International travel sentiment tracker

Discover more.

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners of the land, sea and waters of the Australian continent, and recognise their custodianship of culture and Country for over 60,000 years.

*Disclaimer:  The information on this website is presented in good faith and on the basis that Tourism Australia, nor their agents or employees, are liable (whether by reason of error, omission, negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any statement, information or advice given in this website. Tourism Australia wishes to advise people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent that this website may contain images of persons now deceased.

Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia

Statistics on international travel arriving in and departing from Australia.

• Next Release 12/06/2024 Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, April 2024
• Next Release 12/07/2024 Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, May 2024
• Next Release 15/08/2024 Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, June 2024
• View all releases
• Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia Reference Period February 2024
• Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia Reference Period January 2024
• Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia Reference Period December 2023

Key statistics

In March 2024:

• Short-term visitor arrivals: 761,050 – an increase of 24.1% on one year earlier 
• Short-term resident returns: 767,110 – an increase of 20.7% on one year earlier
• Total arrivals: 1,614,830 – an increase of 20.1% on one year earlier
• Total departures: 1,709,930 – an increase of 29.1% on one year earlier

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

Content Display Issue

Some users are experiencing truncation of content when viewing collapsible sections of the publication, particularly when viewing large tables or graphs. 

If this issue is encountered, please consider downloading the data or collapsing and re-expanding the section to access all content. We are working on this issue and will have it rectified shortly.

Overseas Migration Statistics

This release presents statistics on all overseas arrivals and departures, which is not the same as overseas migration statistics.

If you are looking for ABS statistics on overseas migration, please refer to:

• Overseas Migration ;
• National, state and territory population .

Arrivals and departures

• Download table as CSV
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• Provisional data for the most recent month has not had the full quality assurance methods applied as is done for the earlier months. Provisional data will be revised in the next issue of this publication.
• Provisional data for the most recent month has not had the full quality assurance methods applied as is done for the earlier months. Provisional estimates will be revised in the next issue of this publication.
• Category of travel data is not available from provisional estimates.
• Permanent arrivals (settlers) comprise: travellers who hold permanent visas, New Zealand citizens who indicate on their passenger card an intention to migrate permanently, and those who are otherwise identified as eligible to settle.
• Australian resident includes Australian citizens, permanent visa holders residing in Australia, and any New Zealand citizens who can be identified as a resident.
• An overseas visitor is any traveller arriving to, or departing from, Australia who is not an Australian resident.

Note: Long-term are travellers who have been away or in Australia for 12 months or more. Short-term are travellers who have been away or in Australia for less than 12 months.

Visitor arrivals - short-term

Compares international visitor arrivals each month by source country and change at the state and territory level. Analysis in this section is undertaken on short-term trips (less than 1 year).

For visitor arrivals to Australia:

• A total of 761,050 short-term trips were recorded, an increase of 147,710 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 9.0% lower than the pre-COVID level in March 2019.
• New Zealand was the largest source country, accounting for 15% of all visitor arrivals.

Countries where visitors came from

The three leading source countries where visitors came from were:

• New Zealand (115,270 trips)
• The USA (84,770)
• The UK (78,820).
• Top 10 source countries based on month ending March 2024.
• Excludes SARs and Taiwan.

State or territory of stay

All travellers are asked their intended address in Australia upon arrival. For March 2024, the highest number of visitor arrivals for short-term trips was observed for New South Wales (282,310), whilst the Northern Territory recorded the fewest (3,580).

2.3 Short-term visitor arrivals, state or territory of stay - March 2024

This map presents the number of short-term visitor arrivals in Australia in March 2024, by their state of intended stay.

- New South Wales (282,310) - Victoria (199,120) - Queensland (159,500) - South Australia (22,290) - Western Australia (76,560) - Tasmania (9,210) - Northern Territory (3,580) - Australian Capital Territory (8,390).

• Includes Other Territories.

Visitor arrivals - state and territory

Compares international visitor arrivals each month by source country for each state and territory. Analyses in this section are undertaken on short-term trips (less than 1 year) unless otherwise stated.

New South Wales

For visitor arrivals to New South Wales:

• There were 282,310 short-term visitor arrivals, an increase of 48,310 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 10.1% lower than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

The three leading source countries for New South Wales were:

• The USA (44,730 trips)
• New Zealand (33,340)
• The UK (28,010).

Long-term visitor arrivals

For visitors arriving in New South Wales for a long-term trip (1 year or more):

• There were 18,540 arrivals, a decrease of 5,010 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 0.7% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.  

For visitor arrivals to Victoria:

• There were 199,120 short-term visitor arrivals, an increase of 39,870 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 15.1% lower than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.  

The three leading source countries for Victoria were:

• New Zealand (31,470 trips)
• China (19,990)
• The UK (18,150).

For visitors arriving in Victoria for a long-term trip (1 year or more):

• There were 18,220 arrivals, a decrease of 1,800 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 1.4% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

For visitor arrivals to Queensland:

• There were 159,500 short-term visitor arrivals, an increase of 47,580 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 4.2% lower than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

The three leading source countries for Queensland were:

• New Zealand (37,910 trips)
• Japan (21,300)
• The USA (14,060).

For visitors arriving in Queensland for a long-term trip (1 year or more):

• There were 8,400 arrivals, a decrease of 980 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 37.6% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

South Australia

For visitor arrivals to South Australia:

• There were 22,290 short-term visitor arrivals, a decrease of 780 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 9.8% lower than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.  

The three leading source countries for South Australia were:

• The UK (2,820 trips)
• India (2,620)
• The USA (2,300).

For visitors arriving in South Australia for a long-term trip (1 year or more):

• There were 3,010 arrivals, a decrease of 740 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 28.1% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

Western Australia

For visitor arrivals to Western Australia:

• There were 76,560 short-term visitor arrivals, an increase of 11,260 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 2.3% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

The three leading source countries for Western Australia were:

• The UK (14,180 trips)
• Singapore (9,150)
• New Zealand (6,480).

a. Top 10 source countries based on month ending March 2024. b. Excludes SARs and Taiwan.

For visitors arriving in Western Australia for a long-term trip (1 year or more):

• There were 6,720 arrivals, a decrease of 450 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 88.4% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

For visitor arrivals to Tasmania:

• There were 9,210 short-term visitor arrivals, an increase of 950 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 5.5% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

The three leading source countries for Tasmania were:

• New Zealand (2,580 trips)
• The USA (1,040)
• The UK (820).  

For visitors arriving in Tasmania for a long-term trip (1 year or more):

• There were 610 arrivals, a decrease of 180 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 30.1% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

Northern Territory

For visitor arrivals to the Northern Territory:

• There were 3,580 short-term visitor arrivals, a decrease of 420 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 27.2% lower than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

The three leading source countries for the Northern Territory were:

• The USA (1,090 trips)
• Indonesia (270)
• The UK (180).

For visitors arriving in the Northern Territory for a long-term trip (1 year or more):

• There were 690 arrivals, a decrease of 190 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 67.7% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

Australian Capital Territory

For visitor arrivals to the Australian Capital Territory:

• There were 8,390 short-term visitor arrivals, an increase of 950 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 1.3% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

The three leading source countries for the Australian Capital Territory were:

• New Zealand (1,250 trips)
• India (970)
• The USA (930).

For visitors arriving in the Australian Capital Territory for a long-term trip (1 year or more):

• There were 1,130 arrivals, a decrease of 180 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 49.2% higher than pre-COVID levels in March 2019.

Visitor arrivals - short-term - calendar year 2023

Compares annual international travel arrivals over time by source country, state and territory, age and sex, main reason for journey and median duration of trip. All analysis in this section is done on short-term trips (less than 1 year).

For the most recent analysis by financial year, see the  June 2023 issue of Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia .

For visitors arriving in Australia in 2023:

• There were 7,187,430 visitor arrivals, nearly double the previous year
• New Zealand was the largest source country, accounting for 18% of visitors
• The most popular reason for travel was 'holiday' (40%)
• The median duration of stay in Australia was 14 days, down from 18 days in 2022.

Annual visitor arrivals

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a substantial decline in travel movements due to international border restrictions from March 2020. These restrictions were progressively lifted from 1 November 2021, and by 21 February 2022 Australian borders were reopened to most travellers. 

There were 7,187,430 visitor arrivals in 2023. This is an increase of nearly double on the previous year, up from 3,694,380.

Visitor arrivals have increased since international border restrictions were removed in November 2021, but remain lower than pre-COVID levels back in 2019. The number of arrivals in December 2022 was 60% of the same period in 2019, and by December 2023 had increased to 81% of the 2019 level. The total number of visitor arrivals in 2023 was 76% of the number recorded in 2019. 

Visitor arrivals to Australia have generally been increasing over recent decades, with a continuous increase in the ten-year period ending 2019. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, a substantial decline was observed from February 2020 onwards. Since November 2021, visitor arrivals have been increasing as border restrictions were progressively lifted.

Peaks were seen during the:

• Brisbane Expo in 1988
• Sydney Olympics in 2000
• Easing of COVID-19 border restrictions from late 2021.

Decreases were observed during the:

• Asian financial crisis in 1998
• September 11 attacks in the USA in 2001
• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003
• Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008
• Global COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020. 
• 2001 Sept 11 attacks
• Asian financial crisis

The top five source countries for 2023 were New Zealand, the USA, the UK, China and India.

• Short-term visitor arrivals for all top 5 source countries were higher than the previous year
• New Zealand remained the largest source country for visitor arrivals with 1,272,140 visits
• Arrivals from the USA were the second highest with 659,750 visits

Ten years ago, in 2013, the top five source countries were New Zealand, China, the UK, the USA and Singapore.

• Top 5 source countries based on year ending December 2023.

Visitor arrivals have increased significantly since the easing of travel restrictions in November 2021, but visitor numbers from different countries have recovered at varied rates.

South Korea was the only one of the top 10 source countries in 2023 to exceed pre-COVID levels, reaching 103% of 2019 arrivals. China had the lowest rate of recovery, reaching 37% of 2019 arrivals.

• Top 10 source countries based on year ending December 2023.

All travellers are asked their intended address in Australia upon arrival. 

11.7 Short-term visitor arrivals, state/territory of stay — 2023

This map presents the proportion of short-term visitor arrivals in Australia in 2023, by their intended state or territory of stay:

• NSW (38.4% of all short-term visitors)
• Vic. (25.6%)
• Qld (20.4%)
• Tas. (1.0%)
• ACT (1.3%). 

Ten years ago, in 2013, Victoria had a smaller proportion of visitor arrivals (22.3%) than Queensland (23.5%) and the Northern Territory had a larger proportion (1.2%) than the Australian Capital Territory (1.0%) and Tasmania (0.7%).

All states and territories expect the Northern Territory recorded an overall increase in international visitors in the years prior to 2020. While most states recorded steady annual growth, the Northern Territory and South Australia experienced fluctuations in visitor numbers. All states and territories observed a considerable drop in visitor numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the easing of travel restrictions in November 2021, visitor arrivals have increased in all states and territories, but have increased towards pre-COVID levels at different rates. In 2023, visitor arrivals to ACT reached 86% of 2019 movements, the highest of any state or territory. Visitor arrivals to the Northern Territory were the lowest, with movements in 2023 reaching 60% of 2019 levels.

The mix of source countries at the state and territory level was different to that at the national level. In 2023:

• New Zealand was the largest source country for visitors to NSW, Vic., Qld, SA and Tas.
• The UK was the largest source country for WA
• The USA was the largest source country of visitors to the NT
• China was the largest source country of visitors to the ACT.

Ten years earlier, in 2013, it was similar, the only difference was that the UK was the leading source country for visitors to SA, and New Zealand was the leading source country for visitors to ACT.

Age and sex

There were more visits to Australia by females than males in 2023 (3,456,860 males compared with 3,730,570 females). In 2013, however, there were more male short-term visitor arrivals than female (3,317,100 males and 3,164,600 females).

In 2023, the median age for male visitors was 41 years, while the median age for female visitors was 42 years. When broken down into five-year age groups, the largest group of visitor arrivals was those aged between 25 and 29 years. New Zealand was the largest source country for this age group, and ‘holiday’ was the most frequently stated reason for journey (42%). In 2013, the median age for male visitors was 40, and the median age for female visitors was 39.

Main reason for journey

Visitors are asked the main reason for their journey upon arrival in Australia.

In 2023, the most frequently stated reasons were:

• ‘Holiday’ (40%)
• ‘Visiting friends/relatives’ (37%)
• ‘Business’ (6.2%).
• As a percentage of all short-term visitor arrivals.

In the pre-COVID period, ‘holiday’ was the most frequently reported reason for journey for visitor arrivals (47% in 2019), but international travel restrictions due to COVID-19 caused a change in travel behaviour. Since the easing of these restrictions, the number of visitors to Australia has increased for all reasons, and ‘holiday’ has returned to the most common (40% in 2023).

Female visitors were more likely than males to record their main reason for journey as 'holiday' or 'visiting friends/relatives'. Male visitors were more likely to record 'business' or 'employment' than female visitors.

• Visiting friends/relatives

Duration of stay

Visitors are asked their intended duration in Australia upon arrival.

During 2023, the median duration of stay in Australia was 14 days. This is a decrease compared to 2022, when the median trip duration was 18 days. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the median duration of short-term visitor trips was 10 days, but median duration of stay increased during the pandemic.

The median duration varied between the states and territories and between the numerous source countries.

• Top 10 source countries have been calculated at the Australia level.
• Excludes SARs and Taiwan.

In 2023 the median duration by state or territory was:

• Highest in NT at 21 days 
• Lowest for NSW and Qld at 12 days.

Visitors from India recorded a median duration of stay of 61 days, which was the longest of the top 10 countries. This was down from 86 days the year before.

Visitors from Japan recorded for a comparatively shorter stay, with a median duration of 7 days. This was down from 10 days the year before.

The median duration of stay of short-term visitors to Australia also varied by their reported reason for journey. Those travelling for:

• ‘Education’ stayed the longest (152 days)
• ‘Employment’ (147 days)
• ‘Visiting friends/relatives’ (20 days)
• ‘Holiday’ (10 days)
• ‘Convention/conference’ and ‘business’ stayed the shortest (7 days).

Arrivals - international students

Compares international student arrivals each month by visa type.

• In March 2024 there were 44,580 international student arrivals to Australia, a decrease of 9,060 students compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of student arrivals in March 2024 was 38.2% lower than the pre-COVID levels in March 2019.
• International student visa holders whether it be for a short-term (less than 1 year) or long-term (1 year or more) duration. This is not the same as when a traveller self reports 'education' as their main reason for journey.
• English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students.

Resident returns - short-term

Compares international resident returns each month by destination country and change at the state and territory level. Analysis in this section is undertaken on short-term trips (less than 1 year).

For residents returning from overseas:

• A total of 767,110 short-term trips were recorded, an increase of 131,380 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
• The number of trips for March 2024 was 1.8% higher than the pre-COVID level in March 2019.
• New Zealand was the most popular destination country, accounting for 16% of all resident returns.

Destination countries

The three leading destination countries residents returned from were:

• New Zealand (124,440 trips)
• Indonesia (110,190)
• Japan (62,590).

State or territory of residence

All travellers are asked their intended address in Australia upon arrival. For March 2024, the highest number of resident returns from short-term trips was observed for New South Wales (248,670), whilst the Northern Territory recorded the fewest (5,590).

13.3 Short-term resident returns, state or territory of residence - March 2024

This map presents the number of short-term resident returns in Australia in March 2024, by their state of intended residence.

- New South Wales (248,670) - Victoria (202,810) - Queensland (159,410) - South Australia (30,260) - Western Australia (100,480) - Tasmania (7,210) - Northern Territory (5,590) - Australian Capital Territory (12,560).

Resident returns - short-term - calendar year 2023

For Australian residents returning to Australia in 2023:

• There were 9,975,230 resident returns from overseas, an increase of over 4.7 million on the previous year
• Indonesia was the leading destination country for Australians travelling overseas, accounting for 1,368,050 trips
• The most popular reason for travel was 'holiday' (57%)
• The median trip duration was 15 days.

Annual resident returns

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a substantial decline in travel movements due to the introduction of international border restrictions in March 2020. These restrictions were eased progressively from 1 November 2021, resulting in increased travel in 2022 and 2023.

9,975,230 residents returned from overseas trips in 2023. This was an increase of over 4.7 million on the previous year, when 5,225,640 trips were taken.

The number of resident returns in 2023 remained lower than pre-COVID but increased across the year, and by December 2023 had reached 99% of the corresponding period in 2019. The total number of residents returning from overseas in 2023 was 88% of 2019 (pre-COVID) volumes.

The number of Australian residents travelling overseas has largely been increasing over recent decades, with the general trend interrupted by various historical events such as the: 

• Early 1990s recession in Australia
• September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001
• Bali bombings in 2002
• Global COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020.

A substantial decline was observed in late March 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. Travel by Australian residents has been increasing over the past two years after border restrictions were gradually removed from November 2021.

• 2002 Bali bombings
• Early 1990s recession

The top five destination countries in 2023 were Indonesia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK and Japan.

• Short-term resident returns for all top 5 destination countries continued to increase after the removal of international travel restrictions 
• Indonesia was the leading destination country with 1,368,050 trips, most of whom recorded 'holiday' as their reason for travel (86%)
• Residents returning from New Zealand increased to 1,263,540, up from 707,990 in 2022
• The USA was the only country in the top 5 where travel volumes remained lower than 10 years ago (667,080 trips, down from 972,020 in 2013).

Ten years ago, in 2013, the top five countries were New Zealand, the USA, Indonesia, Thailand and the UK.

• Top 5 destination countries based on year ending December 2023.

The number of Australian residents travelling overseas has increased significantly since the easing of travel restrictions in November 2021, but the number of residents visiting various countries has increased at different rates.

India was the highest of the top ten destination countries when compared to pre-COVID levels, with trips taken in 2023 exceeding the 2019 level by 15%. The number of Australians visiting Fiji also exceeded the 2019 level by 12%. The USA had the lowest rate of recovery of the top 10 countries, reaching 63% of the 2019 volume.

• Top 10 destination countries based on year ending December 2023.

All travellers are asked their intended address in Australia upon arrival.

14.7 Short-term resident returns, state/territory of residence — 2023

This map presents the proportion of short-term resident returns in Australia in 2022-23, by their intended state or territory of residence:

• NSW (33.5% of all short-term resident returns)
• Vic. (28.0%)
• Qld (17.9%)
• ACT (1.9%). 

Ten years ago, in 2013, the Northern Territory had a higher proportion of resident returns (1.2%) than Tasmania (1.0%). Victoria’s proportion has increased (up from 24.8%) and Western Australia’s has decreased (down from 15.3%).

Most states and territories recorded growth in the number of residents taking overseas trips in the years prior to 2020. Western Australia remained steady from 2014 until the impact of the pandemic, while the Northern Territory fluctuated across the decade. There was a considerable drop for all states and territories from March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The easing of travel restrictions from November 2021 has resulted in an increase of international travel from residents of all states, but travel has increased towards pre-COVID levels at different rates. When compared to 2019, overseas trips were the highest for Victorian residents, with resident returns in 2023 reaching 90% of 2019 levels, and lowest for Northern Territory residents, with 2023 movements reaching 66% of 2019 levels.

The top destination country varied between states and territories:

• New Zealand was the most popular destination for residents from NSW, Qld, Tas. and ACT.
• Indonesia was the top destination for Vic., SA, WA and the NT.

Ten years earlier, in 2013, the difference was that New Zealand was the leading destination for residents of Vic., and the USA was the top country for those living in NSW, SA, and the ACT.

There were more trips taken overseas by Australian males than females in 2023 (5,092,650 males compared with 4,882,580 females). Ten years earlier, in 2013, there were also more trips taken by males than females (4,586,090 males compared with 4,123,510 females).

In 2023, male residents returning to Australia had a median age of 42 years, whereas female residents had a median age of 41 years. When broken down into five-year age groups, more women than men travelled in the age range of 15 to 34 and there were more men than women in all other age groups under 90 years of age.

Australian residents returning from overseas are asked to provide the main reason for their journey.

• 'Holiday' (57%)
• 'Visiting friends/relatives' (29%)
• 'Business' (6%).
• As a percentage of all short-term resident returns.

Prior to COVID, ‘holiday’ was the most frequently reported reason for residents returning from overseas trips (57% in 2019). However, due to the impact of the pandemic and travel restrictions, the proportion recording ‘visiting friends and relatives’ became the most frequent reason during that period and reached a peak of 59% in February 2022. In 2023, ‘holiday’ has returned as the most common reason for journey (57%) and surpassed ‘visiting friends/relatives’ (29%).

Female residents returning to Australia were more likely than male residents to record their main reason for journey as 'holiday' or 'visiting friends/relatives'. Male residents were more likely to record 'business' or ‘employment’ than female residents.

The exact duration away is measured for Australian residents returning from overseas.

During 2023, the median short-term trip duration for Australians travelling overseas was 15 days. This was less than in 2022, when the median trip duration was 16 days.

In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the median duration of short-term resident trips was 14 days, but median duration of stay increased during the pandemic.

The median duration varied between the states and territories and between the numerous destination countries.

• Top 10 destination countries have been calculated at the Australia level.

Residents visiting India stayed away the longest of the top 10 destination countries, with a median duration of 29 days.

Residents travelling to Fiji had a median duration of 7 days, which was the shortest of the top 10 destination countries.

The duration of stay of short-term trips by Australian residents going overseas varied according to reason for journey. Those travelling for:

• 'Employment' stayed away the longest (24 days)
• 'Visiting friends/relatives' (23 days)
• 'Education' (21 days)
• 'Holiday' (14 days)
• 'Convention/conference' (9 days)
• 'Business' stayed the shortest (8 days).

Recent changes

All references to 'gaza strip and west bank' have been updated to 'occupied palestinian territories'.

From 14/5/2024 all references to 'Gaza Strip and West Bank' have been updated to 'Occupied Palestinian Territories' to align with an update to the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) . 

Data downloads

1. Additional provisional data is available under the Data downloads for State of clearance (Table 13), Country of citizenship (Table 14), and Visa group (Table 15). No further breakdowns of provisional data are available, other than those which appear in this release.

2. The ABS identified a data quality issue with OAD processing which affected the state of clearance and visa grouping data. As a result, Overseas Arrivals and Departures data from September 2007 to August 2015 was revised and released in the March 2023 publication.  A further revision to data from July 2007 to June 2017 was released in the April 2023 publication. For further information see Methodology page, in the History of changes section for the year 2007. 

3. Due to improvements made to the quality of the imputations used to estimate duration of stay, OAD data from January to March 2022 has been revised and released in the April 2022 issue.  These imputations use historical data and have been impacted by changed travel behaviour during the COVID-19 travel restrictions period. For further information see Methodology page in the History of changes section for the year 2022.

4. The ABS identified a data quality issue with the source data which affected the state and territory of stay/residence data.  As a result, Overseas Arrivals and Departures data from July 2021 to February 2022 was revised and released in the March 2022 issue. For further information see Methodology page in the History of changes section for the year 2022.

5. For all Short-term Visitor Arrivals (STVA) and Short-term Resident Returns (STRR) series, the trend estimates have been suspended from February 2020 and the seasonally adjusted estimates have been suspended from April 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international travel. For more information, see the Seasonally adjusted and trend estimates section in the Methodology page associated with this release.

6. The quality of the imputation used to estimate duration of stay for some resident departures was impacted by changed travel behaviour during COVID-19 travel restrictions. The proportional split between short-term resident departures and long-term resident departures was impacted from April 2020 to December 2021. Where possible, instead of departure volumes, we recommend clients use short-term resident returns and long-term resident returns for greater accuracy. For more information on how this variable is imputed, please see paragraph 28 of the Imputations and derivations section of the Methodology page.

7. Occasionally situations occur that necessitate breaks being applied to the trend series. For an overview of the breaks currently included in the trend series, see paragraph 14 of the Seasonally adjusted and trend estimates section in the Methodology.

8. For further information about the data, including updates or changes, see the Methodology page.

Time series spreadsheets

Table 1: total movement, arrivals - category of movement, table 2: total movement, departures - category of movement, table 3: short-term movement, visitors arriving - selected countries of residence: trend, table 4: short-term movement, visitors arriving - selected countries of residence: seasonally adjusted, table 5: short-term movement, visitors arriving - selected countries of residence: original, table 6: short-term movement, visitors arriving - intended length of stay and main reason for journey: original, table 7: short-term movement, residents returning - selected destinations: trend, table 8: short-term movement, residents returning - selected destinations: seasonally adjusted, table 9: short-term movement, residents returning - selected destinations: original, table 10: short-term movements, residents returning - length of stay and main reason for journey: original, table 11: short-term movement, visitors arriving - state of intended stay: original, table 12: short-term movement, residents returning - state of residence: original, table 13: total arrivals and total departures - state of residence/stay and state of clearance, table 14: total arrivals and total departures - country of citizenship, table 15: total arrivals and total departures - visa group, table 16: total arrivals - state of residence/stay by visa group, table 17: total departures - state of residence/stay by visa group, data explorer datasets.

Two Overseas Arrivals and Departures datasets are available in Data Explorer.

1.  Visitor arrivals and resident returns, Selected Countries of Residence/Destinations

2.  Visitor arrivals and resident returns, Intended Length of Stay and Main Reason for Journey

Caution: Data in Data Explorer is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check the reference period when using Data Explorer.

For information on Data Explorer and how it works, see the  Data Explorer user guide .

This release contains overseas movement data which should not be interpreted as 'persons'. See the Scope section, paragraph 1 in the Methodology for more detail.

The statistics in this release have been rounded. See the Confidentiality section in the Methodology for more detail.

For enquiries about these and related statistics, contact the Customer Assistance Service via the ABS website  Contact Us  page. The  ABS Privacy Policy  outlines how the ABS will handle any personal information that you provide to the ABS.

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 3401.0.

Methodology

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Northern Yacht Club sets sail with significant upgrades

From: Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

News release

Federal investment helps upgrade dock, power, and water services infrastructure in North Sydney

May 9, 2024 · North Sydney, Nova Scotia · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

Marine tourism plays an important role in attracting visitors to Cape Breton’s shores, contributing to its economic growth. The Northern Yacht Club in North Sydney acts as a gathering point for boaters from near and far, drawing visitors to the area and contributing to a vibrant community.

Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney – Victoria, today announced a non-repayable contribution of $147,400 to the Northern Yacht Club to help upgrade the club’s facilities and services. This announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA.

This investment will support a number of upgrades including replacing aging infrastructure and installing environmentally friendly, plastic EZ docks, which are easier to maintain and more resilient against the harsh maritime weather. New power and water pedestals will also replace those lost in recent storms, improving safety and functionality of the marina. This project ensures the club can continue to promote boating in the region and provide the facilities necessary to support visiting vessels from Canada and international ports.

By investing in projects like this one, the Government of Canada is strengthening its commitment to helping communities flourish and pursue opportunities for growth.

"We support brighter futures and stronger local communities when we invest in infrastructure. Your federal government is proud to support the North Sydney Yacht Club to ensure that it can continue to welcome both local and international visitors for another 100 years. This will ensure North Sydney's economy sails to greater successes.” - The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA

"Situated near Sydney and attractions like the Cabot Trail, the Northern Yacht Club is a prime spot for sailors and tourists. With these upgrades, the club is enhancing its appeal as a destination for all.” - Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney – Victoria

“The Northern Yacht Club is very appreciative of the support from ACOA as it strives to make necessary improvements in its docking facilities and services. As a result of this contribution, the club will continue to provide top notch, accessible docking for its members and visiting boaters from Canada and around the world.” - John Astephen, Commodore, Northern Yacht Club

Quick facts

The Northern Yacht Club (NYC) has a rich sailing and event hosting history, including international, national, and regional events. In 2025, the club will celebrate its 100 th anniversary with a season full of special events and a week-long regatta.

During the summers of 2014, 2015, and 2016, NYC participated in Race the Cape, playing host to keelboats from various ports in the Maritimes and the Eastern United States. In 2022, the club hosted the Mobility Cup, an international regatta for sailors with disabilities.

The funding announced today is provided through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA)  Innovative Communities Fund (ICF) .

The ICF builds on the strengths of communities and provides the tools needed to identify opportunities for sustainable economic growth.

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Connor Burton Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency [email protected]  

Lauren Sinclair Director of Communications Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency [email protected] 782-641-6365  

John Astephen Commodore Northern Yacht Club [email protected] 902-574-4845

Stay connected

Follow ACOA on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and Instagram .

Page details

International tourism results March 2023

The International Visitor Survey tourism results provide annual and quarterley statistics on how international visitors travel in Australia.

Main content

Year ending march 2023.

The International Visitor Survey (IVS) results provide statistics on how international visitors travel in Australia. You can find national, state and territory results for the:

• number of trips taken
• nights spent on a trip
• amount spent in Australia
• total amount spent on a trip.

You can also:

• read about the factors influencing international travel to Australia
• see the changes compared over different time frames impacted by COVID-19
• read about the return of international visitors to Australia.

Annual snapshot

Attach_money spend in australia.

$18.3 billion | 64% of March 2020 levels

person Number of trips

Clear_night nights spent in australia.

171.0 million | 67% of March 2020 levels

equal Total spend

$28.8 billion | 69% of March 2020 levels (includes spend outside Australia)

Quarterly snapshot

$7.5 billion 100% of March 2020 levels

directions_car Number of trips

1.5 million 92% of March 2020 levels

63.7 million 98% of March 2020 levels

11.5 billion 9% up on March 2020 levels (includes spend outside Australia)

• The year ending March 2023 results were based on a combination of sample and imputed data. You can find more information about this on the  International Visitor Survey methodology .
• Unless we say otherwise, we compared the summary results for the year ending March 2023 to the year ending March 2020.
• Spend is reported as spend in Australia. Spend in Australia is different to total spend. Total spend includes purchases made overseas such as international connections and stopovers, including airfares, and other pre-travel or post-travel spend in the source market or elsewhere outside Australia on things like luggage, visas, duty-free retail and ground transport.

International trips and spend key results

International visitation to Australia continues to recover, with 4.6 million trips to Australia recorded in the year ending March 2023.

The top reasons for travel to Australia in the year ending March 2023 were:

• 80% of March 2020 levels.
• Spend in Australia was $3.8 billion, 97% of March 2020 levels.
• 41% of March 2020 levels.
• Spend in Australia was $4.5 billion, 48% of March 2020 levels.
• 57% of March 2020 levels.
• Spend in Australia was $1.5 billion, 78% of March 2020 levels.
• This was 56% of March 2020 levels.
• Spend in Australia was $6.8 billion, 61% of March 2020 levels.

Top 5 international visitor markets

Australia’s top 5 international markets for the year ending March 2023 were:

• 67% of March 2020 levels.
• Spend in Australia was $1.3 billion, 85% of March 2020 levels.
• Spend in Australia was $1.6 billion, 95% of March 2020 levels.
• 63% of March 2020 levels.
• Spend in Australia was $1.3 billion, 72% of March 2020 levels.
• 93% of March 2020 levels, the fastest recovering international market.
• Spend in Australia was $1.3 billion, 7% up on March 2020 levels.
• 75% of March 2020 levels.
• Spend in Australia was $940 million, 94% of March 2020 levels.

Total spend

Total spend in the year ending March 2023 was $28.8 billion. This was 69% of March 2020 levels. Total spend includes purchases made overseas such as international connections and stopovers, including airfares, and other pre-travel or post-travel spend in the source market or elsewhere outside Australia on things like luggage, visas, duty-free retail and ground transport.

Data tables

IVS results for the year ending March 2023 compared to March 2022

IVS results for the year ending March 2023 compared to March 2020

More information

• Explore data from our international and national visitor surveys using TRA online .
• International Visitor Survey Methodology .
• Data and research .

Contact TRA

mail   tourism.research@tra.gov.au

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