Vietnam nearly draws level with UK for Australian visitor trips
Vietnam had the fastest growth among major Australian travel destinations, with August trips rising 30.3% from a year earlier.
Australian visits to Vietnam totalled 588,490 over 12 months through August 2026, a 17.4% year-on-year increase that led growth among major destinations, according to the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA).
That left Vietnam only 60 trips short of the UK, which registered 588,550. The August figure for Vietnam reached 45,630, representing growth of 30.3% compared with the same month a year earlier.
ATIA published the findings in its October 2026 Travel Trends Report, based on overseas arrivals and departures statistics compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The association said Vietnam, China and Japan collectively attracted almost 250,000 more Australian travellers than a year earlier. Visits to the UK and US declined, while Australians’ total overseas trips increased 3.2% to 12.77 million.
The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said on its website that direct flights and journeys shorter than those to Europe helped attract Australians. It also pointed to opportunities to include beaches, local cuisine and cultural activities in one holiday.
