The government is now operating in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.
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
Spend in Australia
$25.7 billion | 82% of September 2019 levels
Number of trips
6.1 million | 71% of September 2019 levels
Nights spent in Australia
220.8 million | 80% of September 2019 levels
Total spend
$39.7 billion | 88% of September 2019 levels (includes spend outside Australia)
Quarterly snapshot
Spend in Australia
$7.8 billion 97% of September 2019 levels
Number of trips
1.7 million 80% of September 2019 levels
Nights spent in Australia
61.4 million 88% of September 2019 levels
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.