According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the attractiveness of Asia to Australian tourists is increasing significantly as this region accounts for 6 of the 10 most visited international destinations in the past year.
Indonesia leads the ranking, mainly thanks to the attractiveness of Bali, followed by Japan (3rd), China (5th) and Thailand (6th).
India and Vietnam are ranked 8th and 9th respectively, reflecting the strong shift of Australian tourists to nearby destinations, reasonable costs and rich cultural experiences.
Dean Long, CEO of the Australian Tourism Industry Association, shared with the country's media that the factors shaping the travel demand of Australian tourists have shifted.
There are destinations that have always maintained their attractiveness since commercial aviation developed and are always in the top 10," Mr. Long said. "However, positions from 5th to 10th often change and depend on different demand dynamics," this expert analyzed.
New Zealand, the US and the UK are still stable destinations. However, the strongest growth momentum currently focuses on Asia and is increasingly spreading to North Africa and (before the current conflict) the Middle East.
Brett Mitchell, Intrepid Travel's Australia-New Zealand managing director, said Asia continued to dominate bookings.
In 2016, Vietnam was our second most popular destination, and has since risen to number one, continuously maintained over the years," Mr. Mitchell said. Japan recorded a growth rate of 8% last year, while Malaysia entered 2026 with a projected growth rate of 97%.
Intrepid data also shows a significant shift outside of Asia.
The biggest change in the past decade has been the boom in tourism to North Africa and the Middle East," Mitchell said.
Besides choosing destinations, the way Australians travel also changes in structure. "Instead of a major trip abroad every few years, now they make two or three short trips each year," Mr. Long said.
Nearby destinations in Asia benefit from this trend, becoming short holidays that help "relax" for about a week. Meanwhile, domestic tourism is considered a separate decision.
In fact, Australia is one of the positive growth markets for Vietnamese tourism in recent years.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2026 in January, Mr. Michael Helleman - Head of Tourism and Tourist Economics Department, Australian Government Trade and Investment Agency (Austrade) said that Vietnam is considered a potential market for Australia, while Vietnam is also becoming an attractive destination for Australian tourists.
Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said that in 2025, Vietnam welcomed about 550,000 Australian tourists, an increase of about 12% compared to 2024, and nearly 200,000 Vietnamese tourists came to Australia.
Australia is currently in the top 10 largest source markets for Vietnamese tourism, while Vietnam is also in the top 20 international tourist markets of Australia. These are very positive figures, reflecting the great potential in tourism cooperation between the two countries.
