Page last updated: 27 January 2025
Table of Contents
How many British tourists visit Australia each year?
Over 590,000 visitors from the United Kingdom travelled to Australia in 2024 (year ending September 2024).
- This represented a 6.69% increase compared to the 553,000 UK visitors recorded in 2023.
- The number of UK visitors in 2024 was 11.94% lower than in 2019 (670,000 visitors).
- The United Kingdom ranked 4th among all international visitor markets to Australia in 2024.
How much did British tourists spend in Australia in 2024?
UK visitors spent approximately $4.19 billion during trips to Australia in 2024 (year ending September).
- In 2024, spending within Australia by UK visitors increased by 16.48%, rising from $1.82 billion in 2023 to $2.12 billion. Total trip spending grew by 9.97%, increasing from $3.81 billion to $4.19 billion.
- In 2024, spending within Australia by UK visitors was 36.14% lower than the 2019 level of $3.32 billion. However, total trip spending in 2024 exceeded the 2019 figure of $3.32 billion by 26.2%, reflecting a shift toward higher total travel expenditures compared to pre-pandemic levels.
- The United Kingdom ranked 3rd in terms of total spending by international visitors in Australia in 2024.
Tourism Spending by UK Visitors in Australia |
Year Ending September ($) |
Year | Spend in Australia | Total Trip Spend |
2019 | 3.32 B | 3.32 B |
2020 | 2.11 B | |
2021 | .07 B | .13 B |
2022 | .65 B | 1.22 B |
2023 | 1.82 B | 3.81 B |
2024 | 2.12 B | 4.19 B |
How many British tourists visited Australia in 2021?
Over 5,900 visitors from the UK came to Australia between April 2020 and March 2021. Visitors from the UK were down 99.1% when compared to the over 637,000 visitors of the previous year.
How much did visitors from the UK spend in Australia in 2021?
Visitors from the UK spent over $92 million during visits to Australia between April 2020 and March 2021. Spending by British visitors was down 97.1% when compared to the over $3.1 billion spent during the previous year.
How many British tourists visited Australia in 2020?
An estimated 562,750 visitors from the UK travelled to Australia for the year ending June 2020.
- Visitors from the UK decreased by 21.6% when compared with the 718,600 of the previous year.
- The UK was the 4th highest source of visitors to Australia in 2019/20.
- The effects of the coronavirus travel restrictions are the main cause of this dramatic decrease.
Impact of the Coronavirus on Brisith Tourist Expenditure
Visitors from the UK spent an estimated $2.6 billion during visits to Australia in the year ending June 2020.
- Spending was down 23.5% when compared with the $3.4 billion of the previous year.
How many British tourists visited Australia in 2019?
718,600 British tourists visited Australia between July 2018 and June 2019, down 3.2% from 742,700 during 2017/18. 1
British tourism through the years
- British tourism peaked in 2006/07 with 745,500 visitors.
- This could be attributed to both the Ashes cricket series and Commonwealth Bank cricket series being held in Australia that year.
- After 2006/07, British tourism saw a decline and only started to improve in 2011/12.
- Despite nearly reaching the peak again in 2017/18, British tourism fell again this year.
Data source: ABS. Image credit: Camper Champ, UK
The UK’s share in the Australian tourism industry
- The UK accounted for 7.9% of all visitors to Australia in 2018/19.2
- The UK currently ranks 4th for the top visitors to Australia.
Top countries that sent visitors to Australia in 2019
Reasons British tourists visit Australia
- Visiting friends/relatives is cited as the most common reason British tourists visit Australia.
- Holidays are also a popular reason for British tourists to visit.
The UK’s contribution to tourism expenditure in Australia
- At an estimated $3.4B in 2018/19, the UK accounted for 7.6% of all expenditure from international tourists, ranking 3rd for Australia.
- Ahead of the UK were China and the USA.
Data source: TRA. Image credit: Camper Champ
Top British Travel Trends in 2019
What do British tourists spend on in Australia?
- British tourists spent $94 per day in 2018/19, ranking 5th on the list of top spenders.
- Food, drink and accommodation were the most popular items at $49 per day.
- Spending on shopping and education were comparatively low.
Data source: TRA. Image credit: Camper Champ
The UK’s travel patterns and Australia’s share
- An estimated 76% of UK citizens hold a passport.3
- The UK’s top travel destinations in 2018 were Spain, France and Italy.4
- All of the top 10 destinations were European countries, suggesting British tourists prefer locations closer to home.
- Despite attracting 718,600 visitors, Australia is still low on the list, not yet making it into the UK’s top 10.