The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has released its May 2025 Travel Trends Report, revealing a notable shift in Australian outbound travel patterns. While overall international departures reached 12.05 million in the year ending April 2025 — marking a 12.1% year-on-year increase — travel to the United States has declined for the first time in months, dropping 6.2% in April 2025 compared to the same month last year.
In contrast, Asia continues to dominate as the preferred destination for Australians. The biggest outbound growth was recorded for Vietnam (+28.5%), Japan (+17.0%), and China (+12.7%) in April alone. Over the full year, Japan led with a staggering 33.8% annual growth, followed by China at 26.9% and Vietnam at 25.0%, underscoring Asia’s growing allure among Australian holidaymakers.
The report confirms that holiday travel remains the top driver, consistently accounting for about 60% of outbound trips, while travel to visit friends and relatives peaked at 34.8% in February. Business and other travel purposes remain minimal by comparison.
On the inbound front, Australia welcomed 8.36 million international visitors in the year ending April 2025, a 6.7% increase from the previous year. Notably, arrivals from China (+23.4%), Japan (+12.9%), and South Korea (+11.9%) drove this growth. In April 2025 alone, international arrivals rose 8.1% year-on-year, with strong gains from the UK (+39.5%) and China (+27.1%), although markets like Indonesia, Japan, and Malaysia saw modest declines.
In terms of aviation, Qantas Airways retained the largest share of international airline passengers for the year ending February 2025, flying 528,000 passengers, which equates to 15.8% of the market. Jetstar recorded the most impressive growth, increasing its market share from 11.0% to 12.0% with 401,000 passengers. Singapore Airlines also grew slightly, increasing its share to 9.4%, while Scoot Tigerair and China Eastern witnessed declines in both passenger numbers and market share.
Total international airline passengers grew from 3.21 million to 3.35 million year-on-year, reflecting continued recovery in global travel demand.
ATIA CEO Dean Long commented, “We’re seeing a noticeable softening in USA-bound travel by Australians, with a 6.2% decline in April, despite overall outbound travel increasing. Australians are increasingly prioritising leisure travel to Asia, where cultural richness and value-for-money experiences continue to resonate.”
“These figures reflect the need for a resilient, consumer-responsive travel industry, able to adapt to evolving preferences. We encourage travellers to always book with ATIA-accredited travel businesses for transparency, peace of mind, and quality service.”
As Australians redefine their travel priorities in 2025, the Asia-Pacific region remains the fastest-growing market, while the United States sees a temporary retreat, highlighting the ongoing shifts in global travel dynamics.
