Australia Travel and Tourism
Australia closed its international borders in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After 19 months, on November 1, 2021, Australians were allowed to leave the country without having to apply for a travel exemption. Since then, Australian travel to the U.S. has significantly increased month-on-month.
The United States is the most popular long-haul destination for Australians and travel to the United States is rebounding strongly. In 2019, Australia ranked as the eleventh-largest market for inbound visitors with 1.32 million Australians traveling to the United States and a total visitor spend of $8 billion.
Airlines flying between Australia and the United States include Air New Zealand, American, Delta, Hawaiian, Jetstar, Qantas, and United. There are direct flights between Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, and Dallas Fort Worth, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Australians visiting the United States travel farther, stay longer (average stay of 18 nights), and spend more than many other inbound markets. Most Australian travelers to the United States are FIT (Free and Independent Travelers) and over 33% rent a car. 91% of Australian visitors travel to the U.S. for pleasure and 75% are repeat travelers.
Australians love to travel to the United States and there is pent-up demand fueling strong interest in visiting the U.S. The most popular activities include shopping, sightseeing, visiting national parks and monuments, taking guided tours, and visiting historical locations. The top states visited are California, Hawaii, New York, Nevada, Florida, and Texas.
Travel agents and tour operators are an important source of information and a key channel for making bookings. Consumer media, including digital and social media, are influential in stimulating interest and major local newspapers and special interest magazines regularly publish travel articles on the United States.
The Visit USA Organization’s annual Visit USA Expos each February are one of the longest-running, largest, and most popular events in the local travel industry’s calendar. Over 1,000 travel agents in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane attend to meet with U.S. destinations and suppliers.
For more information on the Australian travel market to the United States please contact office.australia@trade.gov.