Year ending September 2023
The International Visitor Survey (IVS) results provide statistics on how international visitors travel within 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
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Spend in Australia
$25.7 billion | 82% of September 2019 levels
person
Number of trips
6.1 million | 71% of September 2019 levels
clear_night
Nights spent in Australia
220.8 million | 80% of September 2019 levels
equal
Total spend
$39.7 billion | 88% of September 2019 levels (includes spend outside Australia)
Quarterly snapshot
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Spend in Australia
$7.8 billion 97% of September 2019 levels
person
Number of trips
1.7 million 80% of September 2019 levels
clear_night
Nights spent in Australia
61.4 million 88% of September 2019 levels
equal
Total spend
$11.3 billion 2% up on September 2019 levels (includes spend outside Australia)
Notes on the data
- The year ending September 2023 results are drawn from a combination of sample and imputed data. You can find more information about this on the International Visitor Survey methodology page.
- Unless stated otherwise, the summary results are compared to the following:
- the September 2023 quarter to the September quarter 2019
- the year ending September 2023 to the year ending September 2019.
- 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)
- other pre-travel or post-travel spend in the source market or elsewhere outside Australia on expenses such as luggage, visas, duty-free retail and ground transport.
International trips and spend key results
International tourism in Australia continues to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic. In the year ending September 2023, there were 6.1 million trips to Australia.
The top reasons for travel to Australia in the year ending September 2023 were:
- Visiting friends and relatives with 2.3 million trips.
- 90% of September 2019 levels.
- Spend in Australia was $4.3 billion, 6% up on September 2019 levels.
- Holiday travel with 2.3 million trips.
- 57% of September 2019 levels.
- Spend in Australia was $7.2 billion, 69% of September 2019 levels.
- Business travel with 681,000 trips.
- 68% of September 2019 levels.
- Spend in Australia was $2.0 billion, 89% of September 2019 levels.
- Education with 406,000 trips.
- This was 69% of September 2019 levels.
- Spend in Australia was $9.9 billion, 81% of September 2019 levels.
The proportion of trips to Australia for holiday purposes continued to increase from 35% in the year ending June 2023 to 37% in the year ending September 2023. This is the highest proportion since falling to 3% in the year ending March 2021 as a result of international border closures.
Top 5 international visitor markets
Australia’s top 5 international markets for the year ending September 2023 were:
- New Zealand with 1.1 million trips.
- 84% of September 2019 levels.
- Spend in Australia was $1.8 billion, 14% up on September 2019 levels.
- United States of America with 576,000 trips.
- 75% of September 2019 levels.
- Spend in Australia was $1.8 billion, 92% of September 2019 levels.
- United Kingdom with 553,000 trips.
- 83% of September 2019 levels.
- Spend in Australia was $1.8 billion, on par with September 2019 levels.
- China with 387,000 trips.
- 29% of September 2019 levels.
- Spend in Australia was $5.2 billion, 51% of September 2019 levels.
- India with 365,000 trips.
- On par with September 2019 levels.
- Spend in Australia was $1.4 billion, 11% up on September 2019 levels.
Total spend
Total spend in the year ending September 2023 was $39.7 billion. This was 88% of September 2019 levels. Total spend includes purchases made overseas such as:
- international connections and stopovers (including airfares)
- 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
More information
- Explore data from our international and national visitor surveys using TRA Online.
- International Visitor Survey Methodology.
- Data and research.