Aussie travel to popular destination slumps as new entry rules, flight routes take a toll
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It’s traditionally one of the most common destinations visited by Aussies, with millions also having roots in the home of double-decker buses and fish and chips.
Doing a working holiday in London is also a rite of passage for many younger Aussies. But passengers from Down Under are shunning Britain, with overall travel numbers dropping.
Aussies are turning slightly off the UK, numbers seem to show. iStock
New figures show UK-bound travel has eased 3.3 per cent for the year.
That’s according to travel bosses from the ATIA, who are behind the organisation’s July 2026 Travel Trends Report, based on the government’s ABS and Department of Infrastructure data.
The slight drop is being put down to a few reasons.
Experts said the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is still catching some travellers off guard. It’s the new digital entry document travellers need to secure in advance.
There was confusion among travellers when it was officially implemented in February 2026 after a trial.
Many Aussies erroneously thought they could just get in on their Aussie passport despite actually having British citizenship. Some had to scramble to get UK passports.
Then there’s the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, hitting some of the most popular flight routes to the nation.
Indeed, in May 2026 alone UK visits had dropped off by almost a quarter compared with May 2025.
Continued uncertainty over flying through the area, despite the red warnings being downgraded remains.
Alternative routes remain pricey, and some passengers are likely nervous to book.
Changes to border requirements have caught some travellers off guard. iStock
VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates told nine.com.au that inbound tourism relies heavily on open skies and airline connectivity.
“Half of Australian visitors to the UK transit through airports in the Gulf Co-operation Council countries, so the disruption to Gulf airports earlier this year had a wide impact,” she said.
Despite this, Australia remains on track to be the fourth most valuable visitor market, with 1.1 million Aussie visitors forecast to contribute £1.7 billion to the UK economy.
“We expect more Aussies to travel to the UK across late summer, autumn and into winter,” Patricia said.
Aussies are expected to return in numbers during the summer and autumn. iStock
Similarly, ATIA CEO Dean Long remains positive on the situation.
“There’s no mystery in these numbers, it was the impact of the Middle East conflict. When that airspace closed earlier this year, the most direct routes to Europe went with it, and airfares jumped,” Dean told nine.com.au.
“When London suddenly costs more and takes hours longer to reach, plenty of people just push the trip back.
“Australians haven’t broken up with Britain. The big falls landed in April and May, exactly when the disruption hit. It’s the cost and hassle of getting there, not the destination.”
Flight routes have also been impacted. iStock
Patricia said impacts on consumer sentiment to travel and booking intentions are constantly monitored to ensure visitors have the latest official advice and information.
“There are always so many great reasons to book a trip to Britain,” she said, “Whether exploring our beautiful countryside and the golden colours of autumn, or experiencing the thrill of a football match.”
“We can’t wait to welcome our Australian visitors.”
Unsurprisingly travel to the US is also down the report said, with the political situation and fears over mooted border policies likely to blame.
Travel bosses are trying to lure holidaymakers back with the FIFA World Cup putting the nation in the spotlight.
“The US and UK are still two of the most popular places for Australians to visit, they’re just going through a tougher run right now,” Dean said.
Meanwhile, visits by Aussies to China and Vietnam both saw double-digit climbs, the report found.
China is becoming increasingly popular with Aussie tourists. iStock
That backs up Skyscanner search data which shows that China is rapidly gaining momentum among Australian travellers, with flight searches up 44 per cent year-on-year.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) backs this up, too: visits to China have increased by 16.5 per cent over the past year according to travel data.
Indonesia and New Zealand remained the most popular places for Aussies to go in June, followed by Japan.
