Australia Sees Increase in Short-Term International Travel in January 2026, ABS Reports
According to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia experienced a rise in short-term international visitor arrivals in January 2026. The total number of short-term trips reached 716,680, marking an increase compared to the same month in the previous year.
Despite the growth, the volume of visitor arrivals remained below the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically those seen in January 2019. New Zealand continued to be the largest source of short-term visitors to Australia during this period.
Among Australian states, New South Wales attracted the highest number of incoming short-term visitors. Conversely, the Northern Territory recorded the fewest visitor arrivals in January 2026. In terms of Australian residents travelling overseas for short-term trips, there was a sharper rise compared to visitor arrivals. The number of returning residents stood at 1,665,100 in January 2026. This figure represents a notable increase from the same period in 2025 and exceeds the pre-pandemic level of January 2019. New Zealand was also the top destination for these Australians travelling abroad. Resident returns were highest in New South Wales, whereas Tasmania saw the lowest number of returning residents in this category.
The ABS cautions that these statistics focus on international border crossings and are subject to rounding. As such, totals may not align precisely with the sum of individual components. The data for January 2026 remain provisional and may be updated in the future.
Additionally, the agency reminds readers that these travel statistics differ from official overseas migration figures and should not be used to analyze migration trends.
Overall, the data suggest cautious growth in short-term travel to and from Australia as the country continues to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The travel patterns from and to neighboring New Zealand remain central within the current international visitor and resident travel flows.
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