Great Wall, great year: China overtakes UK in Australia's top 5 destinations

Indonesia and New Zealand remain the top overseas destinations for Australians, but a surprising new contender has entered the top-five.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on February 12 shows Aussie travellers are forgoing long-haul trips to the US and UK in favour of closer, more affordable options.

Australians recorded 1.6 million trips to Indonesia and 1.4 million trips to New Zealand in 2025, cementing their dominance as Australians' favourite destinations.

Japan followed in third place recording growth from 2024 of 19.13 per cent, with major surges in January during ski season and again in October, driven by autumn foliage.

But China recorded the biggest rise in rankings, jumping from seventh place in 2024 to fifth in 2025 and recording the strongest growth (19.49 per cent).

As well as increased flight options, China has offered visa-free entry to citizens from dozens of countries including Australia in recent years as part of efforts to woo foreign visitors after the pandemic.

Vietnam again put in a strong performance with growth of 19.22 per cent in 2025 and comfortably maintaining its ninth spot on the rankings.

By contrast, traditional long-haul Western destinations showed signs of cooling.

Travel to the US fell by around three per cent, while the UK recorded modest growth (2.7 per cent) and slipped down the rankings two places to seven.

Flight Centre Travel Group leisure chief executive James Kavanagh said the US's decline was unsurprising, pointing to the introduction of tariffs, geopolitical unrest and tightening entry policies.

"However, we're starting to see increased capacity and some significant discounting, which is likely to lure more travellers back to the US in the year ahead," he said.

Mr Kavanagh said accessibility remained critical, with regular flights and a surging Australian dollar creating a compelling travel proposition.

"New Zealand continues to be a firm favourite as more Australians swap extended flight times for more time on the ground," he said.

"The Minecraft Movie has also put the spotlight on New Zealand as a destination with depth and adventure, conveniently located just beyond our backyard."

Intrepid Travel ANZ managing director Brent Mitchell said Japan's growth came as no surprise.

"For Australian travellers, Japan ticks a lot of boxes. It's relatively close, the exchange rate is favourable, and it offers a completely different cultural experience that still feels accessible and safe," he said.

Mr Mitchell said travellers were increasingly keen to move beyond major cities and explore regional destinations such as Hakone and Hokkaido.

"Destinations like Vietnam, Japan and Indonesia are consistently outperforming long-haul options, and a lot of that comes down to cost and time," he said.

"Japan delivers on value and variety, Indonesia offers reliable tropical escapes, and New Zealand is a go-to for Aussies wanting nature and adventure without the long-haul commitment," Mr Mitchell said.

Solo travel continued to be a major trend.

"More than half of our New Zealand bookings are solo travellers, while Indonesia sees a fairly even split between solo travellers and couples," Mr Mitchell said.

"Across all three countries, women make up the majority of bookings."

Looking ahead to 2026, Mr Mitchell said Vietnam remains a standout performer, while Egypt has emerged as a surprise growth market, recording a 101 per cent increase.

Jordan and Malaysia are also growing steadily, with Sri Lanka another destination to watch.