While total numbers are still rebuilding, a familiar group of countries has continued to supply most overseas visitors, with some clear shifts since COVID.
For readers in regional Victoria and southern NSW, these patterns help explain how national tourism is tracking and where future demand might come from, even if most international travellers arrive first in the major cities.
Why Visitor Trends Matter for Regional Readers
Visitor numbers are often discussed at a national level, but they flow through to regional communities in quieter ways.
When international arrivals increase, there is usually more demand for accommodation, hospitality and travel right across the country.
Friends and relatives from overseas may visit more often, returning migrants might choose longer stays, and some holidaymakers look beyond the capital cities.
For a town like Echuca-Moama, that can mean more people driving up from Melbourne after landing there, or adding a Murray River stop to a wider trip.
A Turbulent Six Years for International Travel
From around 2019 to 2024, Australia’s inbound tourism story can be divided into three clear phases.
The first is a pre-COVID peak, when travel was relatively stable, and China sat at the top of the visitor rankings. The second is the COVID period, when strict border controls pushed arrivals down to historic lows.
The third phase is the current recovery, as borders have reopened and airlines have rebuilt routes.
Across all three phases, a similar group of about 10 countries appears again and again near the top of the list, even though their exact positions change from year to year.
Pre COVID: China on Top, Neighbours Close Behind
In 2019, before the pandemic, China was Australia’s largest single source of overseas visitors. New Zealand followed closely, with the United States and the United Kingdom also high on the list. These four countries formed the core of Australia’s inbound market at the time.
They were joined in the top 10 by Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Hong Kong. Many of those visitors came for holidays along the east coast, to study at universities, or to visit family members living in Australia, including in regional areas.
Border Closures and a Near Halt to Arrivals
From early 2020 into 2021, strict COVID border rules meant that very few international visitors could enter Australia.
Travel was largely limited to citizens, permanent residents and a small number of exempt travellers. Visitor counts fell sharply from every country, no matter how close or how important the market had been before.
During this period, New Zealand often appeared at or near the top of the visitor list, helped by its close ties to Australia and a brief travel bubble.
Other familiar markets such as China, the UK, the US and Japan remained in the rankings by name, but the actual numbers were a fraction of pre-COVID levels.
New Zealand Moves Firmly Into First Place
As borders reopened in 2022 and 2023, New Zealand strengthened its position as Australia’s leading source of overseas visitors.
It has remained in first place through the recovery period, accounting for a significant share of total arrivals.
Proximity plays a big role here. Short flights, a shared sporting calendar and strong family connections make trans-Tasman travel relatively easy to restart.
For regional communities, that can mean more New Zealanders flying into Melbourne or Sydney, then hiring a car and heading inland for road trips, river holidays, or to visit relatives.
India’s Rapid Rise in the Rankings
India has been one of the fastest-growing sources of visitors in recent years and now sits within Australia’s top five markets in the most recent data.
This rise reflects several trends: a growing Indian middle class, strong migration links and expanding university enrolments in Australian cities.
Many visitors from India travel primarily to see family or study, but tourism is often part of the trip.
A student based in Melbourne may bring parents out for a visit, then add a drive through northern Victoria, or a family might combine city stays with time in regional centres.
As these patterns become more common, they add a slow but steady stream of international travellers to rural areas.
Other regulars in Australia's top 10
Looking across the whole six-year period, a core group of countries keeps appearing near the top of Australia’s visitor rankings.
Alongside New Zealand, China, the United States, the United Kingdom and India, countries such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia regularly feature in the top 10.
Their order shifts from year to year, especially outside the top four, but together they form the backbone of Australia’s inbound tourism base.
Some of these visitors stay mainly in the capital cities, while others branch out to coastal regions, wine areas and river destinations.
Arrivals, Not Spending, Shape These Rankings
It is important to note that these rankings are based on the number of visitors arriving, not on how much they spend or how long they stay.
A country with fewer visitors could still deliver higher total spending if those travellers stay longer or choose more expensive holidays.
Higher-spending visitors, including some business travellers and high-net-worth tourists using private jet charter services into major airports, may appear in small numbers in the arrival figures but can have an outsized impact on local spending.
For understanding who is coming to Australia most often, however, arrivals are a useful guide.
They show which countries are consistently sending people, how quickly markets have recovered after COVID, and where future opportunities may lie as flight capacity grows.
What It Could Mean for Regional Australia
The story of the last six years is one of disruption followed by gradual recovery.
New Zealand has become an even more important partner, China remains significant despite a slower return, and India has moved into a more prominent role.
A group of Asian neighbours continues to round out Australia’s top 10 visitor markets. For regional communities such as Echuca-Moama, most international visitors will still arrive via Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, but national trends shape what happens next.
Strong visitor numbers from key markets influence airline decisions, tourism promotion and the frequency of family visits.
Over time, that can mean more overseas guests making their way up the highway or along the Murray, adding a small but meaningful international layer to local tourism.
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