Forget Bali. This country just dethroned Indonesia as the top Asian destination for Australians
There is no denying that a holiday in Bali remains among the favourite choices for Aussie travellers.
Indonesia accounted for 14 per cent of all Aussie international holidays in 2024/25.
But for the first time, another country has overtaken Indonesia as Australians' favourite Asian destination.
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Japan was the top Asian destination for Aussies in February 2026. Getty
According to the latest inbound and outbound travel data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Japan was the most popular Asian holiday spot for February 2026.
It accounted for 103,360 trips, narrowly edging out Indonesia with 101,630.
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Over 1 million Australians visited Japan last year, marking a 15 per cent increase in visitor numbers YoY, as the country records another bumper year in tourism.
January and February remain popular months for Aussies to visit Japan for the northern hemisphere's ski season.
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Bali Nusa Dua coast with a figurative breakwater aerial view iStock
Victors to Indonesia, meanwhile, dropped from 106,880 to 101,630.
According to the ABS data, New Zealand was still our favourite destination, with 113,460 trips, accounting for nearly 13 per cent of all resident returns.
Following the top three were India (88,680 trips), China (48,710) and Thailand (43,770).
Rounding out the top 10 most-visited destinations were Vietnam, USA, Philippines and Malaysia.
New Zealand remains number one overall. Getty
Outbound travel to the USA fell 4.8 per cent. Getty
Outbound travel to the USA fell 4.8 per cent for the year to February 2026, according to the ATIA Travel Trends April 2026 report.
At the same time, Vietnam grew 16.1 per cent, China 15.9 per cent, and Japan 15.6 per cent
"Australians are travelling in record numbers but they are increasingly choosing Asia over America, and the trend is clear across multiple months and multiple destinations. Vietnam, Japan and China are all growing strongly," Dean Long, ATIA CEO, said.
Australians made more than 12.6 million overseas trips in the year to February.
"That is a sector operating at full pace. The opportunity for travel professionals is real, the demand is there, and the data tells you exactly where to focus," he added.
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