Leslie Massey
Australia is a popular tourist destination, attracting millions of international visitors each year. In 2024, approximately 7.63 million international visitors travelled to Australia, a 15% increase from the previous year. The largest source of international visitors in 2024 was New Zealand, with around 1.26 million arrivals, followed by China with about 829,000 visitors. Tourism is an important part of the Australian economy, contributing 8.2% of the country's total export earnings in 2018-19. Popular destinations for visitors include the coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and the natural attractions of the Great Barrier Reef and the Australian Outback.
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What You'll Learn
International visitors to Australia in 2024
Australia welcomed approximately 7.63 million international visitors in 2024, a 15% increase from 2023. This number is still about 12% below the pre-pandemic peak of 8.71 million in 2019. International visitors spent a total of A$48.87 billion in Australia during the year ending in December 2024, marking a 13% increase from the previous year.
In 2024, New Zealand was the largest source of international visitors, with around 1.26 million arrivals, followed by China with about 829,000 visitors. The United States, the United Kingdom, and India were also leading source countries, with 669,000, 605,000, and 421,000 visitors, respectively. Notably, Chinese visitors were the highest spenders, contributing about A$8.07 billion to the Australian economy.
International tourism is an important part of Australia's economy. In 2024, tourism's direct Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was $78.1 billion, a 9.1% increase from the previous year. The sector employed 619,500 people in 2023-24, representing 1 in every 23 jobs in Australia.
New South Wales accounted for over a third of all international visitor nights spent in Australia in 2024, with Victoria as the second most popular state, attributed to its higher concentration of visitor attractions. December is the busiest month for tourism in Australia, with 15.2 million visits, followed by February with 13.9 million visits.
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$129.75 $189
Top source countries for visitors
Australia welcomed 8.7 million international visitors in 2019, with tourism being the country's fourth-largest export that year. The number of international visitors rose each year from 2010 to 2019, with the exception of 2019-2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant drop in tourism.
In 2024, Australia received 7.63 million international visitors, a 15% increase from 2023. The largest source of international visitors was New Zealand, with around 1.26 million arrivals, followed by China with about 829,000 visitors. Other leading markets included the United States (669,000), the United Kingdom (605,000), and India (421,000).
China has been Australia's largest source country for visitors, with over 1.4 million visitors in 2018-2019. This number dropped to 860,000 in the year ending March 2025. China has also been the top source country for visitors to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory. In 2019, Chinese visitors reached a peak of over 1.4 million and contributed about 12 billion Australian dollars to the Australian economy. Chinese visitors were also the highest spenders in 2024, contributing about 8.07 billion Australian dollars in total trip expenditure.
New Zealand has ranked as the top source of visitors to Australia over the past four years, with a total of 1.26 million tourists in 2024. New Zealand visitors spent a total of 2.06 billion Australian dollars in 2024, and 2.2 billion in the year ending March 2025.
The United States is another significant source market for visitors to Australia. In 2024, there were 669,000 visitors from the United States, and they spent a total of 1.99 billion Australian dollars. In the year ending March 2025, there were 672,000 visits from the United States, with a total spend of 9.2 billion Australian dollars, a 28% increase from March 2024 levels.
The United Kingdom is also a top source country for visitors to Australia. In 2024, there were 605,000 visitors from the United Kingdom, and they spent a total of 2.20 billion Australian dollars. In the year ending March 2025, there were 613,000 visits from the United Kingdom, with a total spend of 2.3 billion Australian dollars, an 11% increase from March 2024.
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Visitor gender and age
Australia welcomed 9.3 million tourists between July 2018 and June 2019, the highest number ever recorded. Of these, 4.9 million were women, and 4.5 million were men. The median age of male visitors was 41 years, while female visitors had a median age of 40 years. The largest group of visitors were aged between 25 and 29 years.
In the calendar year up to December 2019, there were 8.7 million international visitors to Australia. Tourism is a vital part of the Australian economy, and it employed 666,000 people in 2018-19, representing 1 in 21 jobs across the workforce. About 48% of people employed in tourism were full-time, and 54% were female.
In 2024, there were 7.63 million international visitors to Australia, a 15% increase from 2023. The largest source of international visitors was New Zealand, with around 1.26 million arrivals, followed by China with about 829,000 visitors. The number of visitors from China was 38% below 2019 levels.
The most common reasons for visiting Australia vary by gender. In 2018-19, female visitors were more likely to state their reason for travel as a holiday (26% compared to 21% of men), visiting friends and relatives (17% compared to 13% of men), and education (3.4% compared to 3.1% of men). Conversely, male visitors were more likely to travel for business (5.5% compared to 1.8% of women).
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Visitor spending
Tourism is an essential part of the Australian economy, and the country witnessed a record number of visitors in 2018-19, with 9.3 million short-term visitor arrivals from overseas. The number of international visitors in Australia was 8.7 million in the calendar year up to December 2019. In 2024, there were 7.63 million international visitors, a 15% increase from 2023.
In 2024, international visitors spent a total of A$48.87 billion in Australia, a 13% increase from the previous year. Notably, international spending in 2024 surpassed the pre-pandemic peak by approximately 8%. Chinese visitors were the highest spenders in 2024, contributing about A$8.07 billion in total trip expenditure. This was followed by the United Kingdom (A$2.20 billion), New Zealand (A$2.06 billion), the United States (US$1.99 billion), and India (A$1.66 billion).
In 2021, visitor numbers fell to their lowest, but in 2024, visitor numbers rose again. In the year ending March 2025, international visitation to Australia reached 7.7 million trips. Visitor spending in Australia was $12.0 billion, a 24% increase from March 2024.
In 2024, tourists visiting Australia spent a total of $159.17 billion, a 26% increase from the pre-pandemic peak. Tourism’s direct Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was $78.1 billion in current prices for the 2023-24 financial year, a 9.1% increase from the previous year. The average visitor spending per capita in Australia varies significantly between international and domestic tourists, with an overall average of $1,255 per visitor. International visitors spend an average of $6,405 per person during their visit, while domestic visitors spend an average of $926 per person.
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Tourism's impact on the Australian economy
Tourism is an essential part of the Australian economy, and the country attracts both domestic and international visitors. In 2018-19, there were 9.3 million short-term visitor arrivals to Australia from overseas, the highest year on record. The number of international visitors rose each year from 2010 to 2019, with 8.7 million international visitors in 2019. In 2021, visitor numbers fell to their lowest, but in 2024, there were 7.63 million international visitors, a 15% increase from 2023.
In 2018-19, tourism employed 666,000 people in Australia, representing 1 in 21 jobs across the workforce. About 48% of people employed in tourism were full-time, and 54% were female. Tourism was Australia's fourth-largest export in 2018/19 and represented 3.1% of Australia's GDP, contributing A$60.8 billion to the national economy. In 2024, tourism's direct Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was $78.1 billion, a 9.1% increase from the previous year. The sector employed 619,500 people in 2023-24, representing 1 in every 23 jobs in Australia.
In 2018-19, international visitors spent a total of A$45.38 billion in Australia, and in the year ending December 2024, international visitors spent A$48.87 billion, a 13% increase from the previous year. In 2024, a total of A$159.17 billion was spent by tourists visiting Australia, a 26% increase from the pre-pandemic peak. International visitors spend an average of A$6,405 per person during their visit, while domestic visitors spend an average of A$926 per person.
The most popular destinations for tourists in Australia include the coastal capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and the Gold Coast, as well as the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system. Other popular destinations include Uluru, the Australian outback, the Tasmanian wilderness, and Rottnest Island, known for its unique wildlife. Australia also hosts many events that attract tourists, such as the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the Rugby World Cup in 2003, the Australian Grand Prix, and Schoolies Week.
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Frequently asked questions
There were 7.63 million international visitors to Australia in 2024, a 15% increase from 2023.
There were 9.3 million international visitors to Australia in 2018-2019, the highest number ever recorded.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 60,200 people visited Australia between April 2020 and March 2021.
December is the busiest month for tourism in Australia, with 15.2 million visits, accounting for 12% of total visitors.
