Updated
At a glance
- About 721,000 UK visitors came to Australia in 2025, up 19.2% on 2024.1
- The UK was Australia's third-largest source of visitors in 2025, with 8.7% of all international visitor trips, behind New Zealand and China.1
- UK visitors spent $2.87 billion in Australia in 2025, up 30.8% on 2024, and $5.26 billion including airfares and other trip costs.1
- In the year ending June 2026, about 715,000 UK visitors came to Australia, up 13.0%.2
- In August 2026, 38,280 short-term visitors arrived from the UK, 0.8% fewer than in August 2025.3
- UK visitors stayed about 39 nights per trip on average in 2025, slightly longer than the 38-night average for all international visitors.1
- Travel goes both ways: more than 637,000 Australians visited the UK in 2025.4
How many British tourists visit Australia each year?
Around 721,000 visitors from the United Kingdom travelled to Australia in 2025.1
| UK visitors to Australia by year (2019–2025) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | UK visitors | Change on previous year |
| 2019 | 672,0005 | – |
| 2023 | 561,0006 | – |
| 2024 | 605,0001 | +7.7% |
| 2025 | 721,0001 | +19.2% |
Source · Tourism Research Australia, International Visitor Survey (trips by visitors aged 15 and over, year ending December). 2020 to 2022 are not shown because of the border closures.
How many UK tourists have visited Australia in 2026?
About 715,000 UK visitors travelled to Australia in the year ending June 2026, a 13.0% increase on the year ending June 2025.2
- UK visitors spent $2.95 billion in Australia over the same 12 months, up 27.0%.2
- In the June quarter of 2026, around 92,000 UK visitors came to Australia, 14.5% fewer than in the June quarter of 2025.2
- In August 2026, 38,280 short-term visitors arrived from the UK, down 0.8% on August 2025, making the UK the sixth-largest source of visitors that month. It was still 6.0% above the 36,130 UK arrivals of August 2019.3
- Adding up the monthly figures, 403,460 short-term visitors arrived from the UK between January and August 2026, 6.8% fewer than in the same months of 2025 and about 95% of the 2019 level. February was the busiest month, with 83,580 arrivals.7
- Most of that drop came in July: July 2025 was unusually busy, with 56,460 UK arrivals, against 34,110 in July 2026.8
Full-year 2026 figures are not out yet. The latest annual figures cover the year to June 2026, and the August 2026 arrivals are provisional.
| Short-term visitor arrivals from the UK by month | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | 2019 | 2025 | 2026 | 2026 vs 2025 |
| January | 73,990 | 71,140 | 79,4709 | +11.7% |
| February | 85,330 | 77,620 | 83,5807 | +7.7% |
| March | 74,000 | 74,520 | 72,13010 | −3.2% |
| April | 59,150 | 55,990 | 43,77011 | −21.8% |
| May | 29,980 | 30,760 | 27,78012 | −9.7% |
| June | 28,290 | 27,900 | 24,34013 | −12.8% |
| July | 39,300 | 56,460 | 34,1108 | −39.6% |
| August | 36,130 | 38,600 | 38,2803 | −0.8% |
Source · Australian Bureau of Statistics, Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia (short-term visitor arrivals from the UK; each month as first published, the latest month provisional).
The UK’s share of visitors to Australia
- In 2025, the UK accounted for 8.7% of all international visitor trips to Australia, the third-largest share after New Zealand (15.7%) and China (11.8%), and just ahead of the USA (8.4%).1
Australia's top visitor markets in 2025
How much did British tourists spend in Australia in 2025?
UK visitors spent about $5.26 billion on trips to Australia in 2025.1
- Spending within Australia rose 30.8%, from $2.20 billion in 2024 to $2.87 billion. Total trip spending grew 24.4%, from $4.23 billion to $5.26 billion.1
- Compared with 2019, spending within Australia was 61.1% higher (up from $1.78 billion) and total trip spending 56.8% higher (up from $3.36 billion), far outpacing the 7.4% rise in visitor numbers.5
- Only Chinese visitors spent more: the UK ranked 2nd for international visitor spending in Australia in 2025.1
| Spending by UK visitors in Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Spend in Australia (A$) | Total trip spend (A$) |
| 2019 | 1.78 B | 3.36 B |
| 2020 | – | 1.03 B |
| 2021 | 0.14 B | 0.30 B |
| 2022 | 1.09 B | 2.18 B |
| 2023 | 1.90 B | 3.95 B |
| 2024 | 2.20 B | 4.23 B |
| 2025 | 2.87 B | 5.26 B |
Source · Tourism Research Australia, International Visitor Survey (spending by UK visitors aged 15 and over, year ending December). “Spend in Australia” counts spending within Australia only. “Total trip spend” also includes costs outside Australia, such as international flights and pre-trip costs. 2020 spending within Australia was not published.
What do British tourists spend on in Australia?
Of the $5.26 billion UK visitors spent on trips to Australia in 2025, more than two-thirds went on airfares or on food, drink and accommodation.1
- Airfares: $1.99 billion (38%)
- Food, drink and accommodation: $1.70 billion (32%)
- Tours: $0.63 billion (12%)
- Transport: $0.31 billion (6%)
- Shopping: $0.26 billion (5%)
- Other spending: $0.24 billion (5%)
- Entertainment: $0.11 billion (2%)1
Spending on education by UK visitors is not published.
Excluding airfares, UK visitors spent about $116 a night in 2025, less than the $134 average for all international visitors.1 Their long stays keep the nightly figure down: across the whole trip, each UK visitor spent about $3,981 within Australia.4
Why do so many British tourists visit Australia?
Visiting friends and relatives is the top reason. In 2025, 48% of UK visitors came to see friends or family4, compared with 34% of all international visitors.1 Another 38% came for a holiday and 6% on business.4
- More than half had been before: 57% of UK visitors in 2025 were on a return trip to Australia, close to the 59% average for all international visitors.4
- Most travel alone: 56% of UK visitors were solo travellers in 2025, and 27% came as a couple.4
- Almost all enjoy it: 99% rated their trip 7 out of 10 or better.4
How long do British tourists stay in Australia?
- UK visitors spent 28.1 million nights in Australia in 2025, an average of about 39 nights per trip. The average for all international visitors was 38 nights.1
- Most stay more than two weeks: 62% of UK visitors stayed 15 nights or more in 2025, compared with 42% of all international visitors. Only 16% stayed a week or less (all international visitors: 34%).4
- Long stays fit the main reason for the trip: almost half of UK visitors come to see friends and family.
Where do Britons travel overseas?
- UK residents made about 99.9 million visits abroad in 2025.14
- Spain was the most popular destination for residents of Great Britain in 2025 (19.1 million visits), ahead of France (9.1 million) and Italy (5.7 million).14
- The 721,000 UK trips to Australia were less than 1% of all UK visits abroad; most British travel stays much closer to home.
- In the other direction, more than 637,000 Australians visited the UK in 2025, up 3% on 2024.4
Where do UK tourists go in Australia?
New South Wales is the top destination. In 2025, 53% of UK visitors went to New South Wales, compared with 50% of all international visitors.4 UK visitors were also more likely than average to visit Queensland (35%, against 29%), while Victoria drew the same share as all international visitors (34%).
- Western Australia: 23% (all international visitors: 13%)
- South Australia: 9% (5%)
- Tasmania: 4% (3%)
- Northern Territory: 4% (3%)
- Australian Capital Territory: 3% (2%)4
UK visitors travel further than most: 46% went beyond the capital cities and the Gold Coast, compared with 29% of all international visitors.4 Because visitors can go to more than one state, the state shares above add up to more than 100%.
Monthly arrivals show a similar pattern. This is where the 38,280 short-term visitors who arrived from the UK in August 2026 intended to stay:
- New South Wales: 13,370 (35%)
- Queensland: 9,420 (25%)
- Victoria: 7,270 (19%)
- Western Australia: 5,830 (15%)
- South Australia: 1,390 (4%)
- Northern Territory: 580 (1.5%)
- Australian Capital Territory: 260 (0.7%)
- Tasmania: 170 (0.4%)3
The UK was the fourth-largest source of visitors to both Queensland and Western Australia in August 2026.3
Do UK tourists go camping in Australia?
No national figures count the UK visitors who hire campervans or stay in caravan parks, but the data that does exist points one way: Britons stay a long time, travel widely and spend time outdoors.
- The United Kingdom was one of the top three international markets for caravan and camping visitors to New South Wales in 2025, alongside Germany and New Zealand. That year, 86,000 international caravan and camping visitors came to the state (up 10.4%), staying 801,500 nights.15
- Across all international visitors, nights in caravan parks and commercial camping grounds rose 39.2% to 3.39 million in 2025. Another 1.50 million nights were spent caravanning or camping outside commercial parks.1
- In 2025, 46% of UK visitors travelled beyond the capital cities and the Gold Coast, compared with 29% of all international visitors.4
- In 2025, 58% of UK visitors went to a national or state park, compared with 45% of all international visitors.4
- Most stay long enough for a road trip: 62% of UK visitors stayed 15 nights or more in 2025.4
- Tasmania welcomed 25,900 UK visitors in the year ending March 2026 (down 19.3%), who stayed 369,200 nights, an average of 14.3 nights each. The UK is Tasmania's fourth-largest international market.16
Campgrounds worth seeing
UK visitors favour New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, and each has national park campgrounds worth the trip. Book your site in advance.
- Illaroo campground, Yuraygir National Park, New South Wales: 70 beachfront sites near Grafton and Wooli for tents, camper trailers and caravans.17 The North Coast was one of the most popular regions for international caravan and camping visitors to New South Wales in 2025.15
- K'gari (Fraser Island), Queensland: Central Station has separate camping areas for tents and for trailers. Book your camping area and a vehicle access permit before you go.18
- Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Queensland: Tent camping by the pure-white silica sand and turquoise water. Bring your own fresh water.19
- Tidal River, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria: The Prom's most popular and best-equipped campground, with 484 camping and caravan sites a short walk from Norman Beach.20
Heading to Tasmania? See our guide to camping in Tasmania.
Campervan hire in Australia
UK visitor numbers over the years
- UK visitor numbers peaked in the 2006/07 financial year at 745,500.
- That was the summer Australia hosted both the Ashes and the Commonwealth Bank cricket series, which may explain the peak.
- Numbers then fell and did not start to recover until 2011/12.
- They came close to the peak again in 2017/18 before falling in 2018/19.
- After the pandemic, visitor numbers recovered: 721,000 UK visitors came in 2025, more than the 672,000 of 2019.5
How COVID-19 affected UK visitors and spending
An estimated 562,750 visitors from the UK travelled to Australia in the year ending June 2020, down 21.7% on the 718,600 of the year before, mainly because of coronavirus travel restrictions. The UK was still Australia's 4th-largest source of visitors that year.21
- With Australia's border closed, just over 5,900 UK visitors came between April 2020 and March 2021, 99.1% fewer than the more than 637,000 of the year before.22
UK visitors spent an estimated $2.6 billion on trips to Australia in the year ending June 2020, down 22.8% on the $3.4 billion of the year before.23 Between April 2020 and March 2021 they spent just over $92 million, down 97.1% on the more than $3.1 billion of the year before.22
UK tourism in Australia: quick answers
How many British tourists visit Australia each year?
About 721,000 UK visitors came to Australia in 2025, up 19.2% on 2024. That made the UK Australia's third-largest source of visitors, after New Zealand and China.1
How much does a UK tourist spend in Australia?
On average, UK visitors spent about $3,981 per trip within Australia in 2025 ($2.87 billion across 721,000 trips).1 Including airfares and other costs outside Australia, the average trip cost about $7,300.
How long do UK tourists stay in Australia?
UK visitors spent 28.1 million nights in Australia in 2025, an average of about 39 nights per trip, compared with about 38 nights for all international visitors.1
What month do most UK tourists visit Australia?
So far in 2026, February has been the busiest month, with 83,580 short-term visitors arriving from the UK.7 January (79,470) and March (72,130) were next, and June was the quietest (24,340). Full-year figures for 2026 are not out yet.
Why do so many Britons visit Australia?
Visiting friends and relatives is the top reason: 48% of UK visitors came to see friends or family in 2025, and 38% came for a holiday.4
How many Australians visit the UK?
More than 637,000 Australians visited the UK in 2025, up 3% on 2024.4 The UK was the third most common destination for Australians returning from short trips in August 2026, after Indonesia and New Zealand.
More tourism statistics
- Australia Tourism Statistics
- Chinese Tourism in Australia Statistics
- Hong Kong Tourism in Australia Statistics
- Indian Tourism in Australia Statistics
- Japanese Tourism in Australia Statistics
- Malaysia Tourism in Australia Statistics
- New Zealand Tourism in Australia Statistics
- Singapore Tourism in Australia Statistics
- South Korea Tourism in Australia Statistics
- USA Tourism in Australia Statistics
References
- International tourism results — year ending December 2025 (International Visitor Survey) · Tourism Research Australia ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w
- International tourism results — year ending June 2026 (International Visitor Survey) · Tourism Research Australia ↑ b c d
- Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, August 2026 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b c d e
- TRA market profile: United Kingdom 2025 (Tourism Research Australia) · Tourism Research Australia ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q
- IVS results for the year ending December 2024 compared to December 2019 · Tourism Research Australia ↑ b c d
- IVS results for the year ending December 2024 compared to December 2023 · Tourism Research Australia ↑
- Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, February 2026 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b c
- Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, July 2026 (time series tables 1, 7 and 8) · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b
- Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, January 2026 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑
- Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, March 2026 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑
- Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, April 2026 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑
- Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, May 2026 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑
- Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, June 2026 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑
- Travel trends: 2025 (Office for National Statistics) · ons.gov.uk ↑ b
- NSW Government media release: NSW number one for caravan and camping trips · nsw.gov.au ↑ b
- Tourism Tasmania, international visitor profile, year ending March 2026 · tourismtasmania.com.au ↑
- Illaroo campground, Yuraygir National Park — NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service · nationalparks.nsw.gov.au ↑
- K'gari (Fraser Island) camping areas — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service · parks.qld.gov.au ↑
- Whitsunday Islands National Park camping — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service · parks.qld.gov.au ↑
- Tidal River Campground — Wilsons Promontory National Park, Parks Victoria · parks.vic.gov.au ↑
- ABS: Overseas arrivals and departures, Australia · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑
- International Visitor Survey tourism results — year ending March 2021 (Tourism Research Australia) · Tourism Research Australia ↑ b
- International Visitor Survey results — year ending June 2020 (Tourism Research Australia) · Tourism Research Australia ↑
- TRA — International tourism results, Australia, March 2024 · Tourism Research Australia
