Australia received 710,980 short-term international visitor arrivals in July 2026, according to figures published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The latest numbers show a 4.3 percent decline compared with July 2025. Visitor arrivals also remained below the country’s pre-pandemic performance, with July’s total sitting 10 percent lower than the figure recorded in July 2019.
New Zealand Remains the Largest Visitor Source
Travelers from New Zealand made up the largest portion of Australia’s short-term international visitors during the month. They accounted for 18.9 percent of all arrivals, while China and the United States were the following major source markets. The distribution of visitors differed across the country’s states and territories. New South Wales recorded the highest number, with 247,410 short-term visitor trips. At the other end, Tasmania registered 4,320 arrivals. The figures underline the continued flow of international travelers into Australia, even though overall inbound tourism has yet to return fully to its 2019 level.
Australians Show Strong Demand for Overseas Trips
Outbound travel remained particularly strong in July. Australian residents made more than 1.25 million short-term return trips from overseas, marking a 3.8 percent increase compared with July last year. The number was also 11.4 percent above the level recorded in July 2019, showing that Australians are traveling internationally at a higher rate than before the pandemic.
Indonesia topped the list of overseas destinations visited by Australian residents, representing 15.1 percent of all short-term resident returns. New Zealand and the United Kingdom were the next most popular destinations. The July figures therefore offer two different trends for Australia’s travel industry: inbound visitor numbers remain below their pre-pandemic benchmark, while international travel by Australian residents continues to perform strongly.
