In a resounding sign of recovery, the latest statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal a substantial surge in international travel to and from Australia for the month of August 2023.
Soaring Arrivals: Short-term visitor arrivals reached a staggering 603,360, marking a robust annual increase of 254,920 trips. Australians returning home also showed a significant uptick, with short-term resident returns totaling 858,540, reflecting a yearly rise of 250,590 trips.
Impressive Total Numbers: The cumulative effect is evident in the total arrivals, which reached 1,544,700, a notable annual increase of 517,000. Similarly, total departures recorded a substantial yearly rise of 574,290, totaling 1,516,500.
Note: The figures are representative of border crossings, and rounding may cause slight discrepancies.
Clarity on Migration Stats: It’s crucial to distinguish this report’s scope, covering all overseas arrivals and departures, from specific overseas migration statistics. For migration-centric data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the go-to source.
Visitor Arrivals – Short-term: In August 2023, 603,360 short-term trips were logged, though still 23.5% below the pre-COVID levels of August 2019. New Zealand emerged as the leading source, contributing 17% of all visitor arrivals.
Leading the Charge:
- New Zealand (105,050 trips)
- China (58,790)
- USA (48,240)
Regional Dynamics: New South Wales dominated short-term stays with 230,460 arrivals, while Tasmania saw the fewest at 4,140.
State and Territory Highlights: For August 2023, New South Wales led in short-term visitor arrivals, closely trailed by Victoria and Queensland. The year-on-year changes were remarkable, with New South Wales witnessing a whopping 90.7% increase.
Annual Visitor Arrivals – FY 2022-23: The fiscal year 2022-23 brought a resurgence in international travel, with total visitor arrivals reaching 5,856,440, nearly quintupling the previous year. New Zealand maintained its status as the largest source country, contributing 18% of visitors. The main reason for travel remained ‘visiting friends/relatives’ at 41%, and the median stay reduced to 14 days from 25 days in 2021-22.
Education Sector Boost: The international education sector also saw positive signs, as August 2023 welcomed 48,770 international students, marking an 11.3% increase from pre-COVID levels in August 2019.
Residents Return: In a reverse migration pattern, 858,540 Australians returned home on short-term trips in August 2023, showing a 7.8% decrease from the pre-COVID levels of August 2019. Indonesia emerged as the top destination, accounting for 15% of all resident returns.