Japan nears one million Australian visitors as outbound travel hits record

Japan is approaching one million trips from Australian visitors annually, as outbound travel from Australia reached a record 12.76 million trips in the year to July 2026.

Australians made 990,950 trips to Japan during the 12 months, an increase of 8.5% year on year, according to the latest Travel Trends Report from the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA).

The figures put Japan close to becoming the latest destination to receive more than one million Australian visitors annually, reflecting continued strong demand for travel across the Asia-Pacific region.

“Japan is knocking on the door of one million Australian visitors a year, and that’s a huge milestone for what has become one of our most popular destinations,” said ATIA CEO Dean Long. “We wouldn’t be surprised to see it cross the line in our next report.”

Overall, Australians made 12.76 million overseas trips in the year to July, up 3.5% compared with the previous year.

Vietnam records fastest growth

Vietnam recorded the strongest increase among the destinations highlighted by ATIA, with Australian visits rising 15.9% to 577,880.

Travel to China also increased substantially, rising 13.4% to 749,130 trips.

Indonesia remained the most popular overseas destination for Australian travellers, receiving 1.79 million visits during the period.

The continued expansion of outbound travel, particularly to Asian destinations, also points to a growing pool of travellers requiring protection against medical emergencies, cancellations, disruption, and other risks overseas.

For travel insurers and assistance providers, changing destination patterns can alter insurers’ exposure to local healthcare costs and availability, medical assistance requirements, and evacuation needs.

Long said ATIA expected airlines to continue adding capacity to destinations including Vietnam and China in response to demand.

International arrivals also rise

International travel into Australia also increased, with arrivals rising 6.9% to 9.07 million.

New Zealand remained Australia’s largest source market, accounting for 1.43 million arrivals, while arrivals from China increased 17.6% to 1.13 million. Hong Kong arrivals rose 9.2%.

ATIA also reported shifts in international airline market share. Qantas and Jetstar together carried around one-third of international passengers travelling to and from Australia, compared with 30.6% a year earlier.

Malaysia Airlines recorded the largest increase in market share, rising from 2.4% to 3.9%.

The report was based on Australian Bureau of Statistics and Department of Infrastructure data, with international arrival and departure figures covering the year to July 2026.

Elsewhere in Asia-Pacific, Taiwan has launched a NT$3.33 billion (US$105 million) tourism incentive programme aimed at boosting domestic travel and attracting more international visitors.