International arrivals to Australia soar but still well below pre-pandemic levels

The number of international travellers visiting Australia has soared in October, and one state in particular is a must-see, fresh data reveals.

International arrivals to Australia continued to trend higher in October, fresh data from the Bureau of Statistics has revealed.

But while the number of foreign travellers coming to Australia has soared in the past year, the figure sits well below the peak that were recorded before the nation’s borders were slammed shut in March 2020 following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Short-term arrivals, which account for nonresidents coming to Australia to study, conduct business, meet friends and family or travel as a tourist for less than 12-months, rose to 607,930 in October, up 43.7 per cent from 12 months prior.

While the number of international arrivals has bounced back strongly, the figures still sit below pre-pandemic levels. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

New Zealand was the largest source country, accounting for 20 per cent of all short-term visitor arrivals.

However, the number of short-term visitors remained well below its peak of almost 1.1 million, recorded in December 2019 just months before coronavirus swept the globe.

When arriving in Australia, short-term visitors are asked to provide their intended address. According to this measure, NSW recorded the highest number of short-term arrivals at 235,230. Meanwhile, Northern Territory added the fewest at just 3650.

When compared with a year prior, however, all states and territories booked an increase in the number of visitors. Short-term arrivals to NSW rose most significantly, climbing 56 per cent, while Tasmania bolstered its arrivals by just 9.8 per cent.

NSW booked the strongest number of international arrivals across the month of October. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Separately, the number of the overseas arrivals who intend to stay in excess of 12 months also increased strongly, reaching 51,440 in October.

The amount of permanent arrivals who are settling in Australia was 11,080 across the month.

Complementing the number of arrivals in October was the return of almost 1.1 million Australians, bringing total arrivals to 1.7 million. At the same time, 1.5 million Australians and internationals travellers left the country.

The data follows the launch of a new migration blueprint released by the federal government on Monday amid growing community concern over Australia’s net migration intake that surged past 510,000 last year.

Originally published as International arrivals to Australia soar but still well below pre-pandemic levels