Australians are increasingly choosing Asia over the United States for their travel destinations, according to the latest report from the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA). The ATIA Travel Trends April 2026 report highlights a 4.8% decline in outbound travel to the USA for the year ending February 2026, with a sharper 9.7% drop in February alone. In contrast, travel to Vietnam, China, and Japan surged by 16.1%, 15.9%, and 15.6% respectively.
The report, which utilises data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, also notes a slowdown in inbound travel from the USA, which grew only 4% compared to the national average of 9.5%. February saw a 1.6% decline in US visitors to Australia. Meanwhile, inbound travel from China soared by 79.5% in February year-on-year, making it Australia's second-largest inbound market with 1.1 million visitors annually.
Dean Long, CEO of ATIA, remarked, "Australians are travelling in record numbers but they are increasingly choosing Asia over America. Vietnam, Japan, and China are all growing strongly. The USA is not."
Overall, Australians made over 12.6 million overseas trips in the year to February, marking a 6.2% increase. Despite the decline in US travel, outbound demand remains robust, with significant growth in other months.
The ATIA Travel Trends report is available to members and provides valuable insights for travel professionals to capitalise on these shifting trends
This story was selected and published by a human editor, with content adapted from original press material using AI tools. Spot an error? Report it here.
