Hawaii is the most popular US destination for Aussies, as new figures show a major shift in travel

New statistics have revealed a major shift in the overall travel sentiment towards the US, after many travellers swore off sentiment towards the US following Trump's re-election and resulting policies.

But travel from Australia to the USA has increased by nearly five per cent year-on-year and was up eight per cent in May 2025 compared to May 2024, according to the latest Travel Trends Report from the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA).

So where exactly in the US are Aussies looking to travel this year?

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In an exclusive Nine reader poll* we asked our audience 'If you could travel to the USA, which state would be your first choice?'

Hawaii has come out as the most popular destination of choice for Aussies planning a holiday to the USA.

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In fact, a quarter of respondents said the island state that is the closest entry point to the US from Australia was the ideal spot.

"Hawaii is by far the best place," one person said, while one commented they "don't consider Hawaii as part of the US" anyway.

The next most popular state for Aussies was New York, with 21 per cent of respondents choosing this as their preferred destination out of the most popular options they were given.

Alaska and California were the third and fourth most popular among our audience (19 per cent and 16 per cent respectively), clearly torn between choosing a sunny getaway in LA, vs exploring the icy wilderness of Alaska.

One reader pointed out some highlights including "Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas" as well worth visiting.

Of course with a grand total of 50 states to actually choose from, there are many other destinations travellers are keen to explore on their next US holiday.

"Yes to Hawaii, but my first choice would be Tennessee and all southern states, then I'd love the west," one person shared.

"Actually my preferred state of America to visit would be Louisiana," another said, sharing a desire to go to New Orleans in particular.

Another also said they would go to "Missouri rather than Alaska".

Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) were also up in various categories, including travelling on a holiday (up 12 per cent compared with last year), visiting friends or relatives (up 15 per cent), or for business (up eight per cent)

It shows a solid improvement compared to April where there was a 6.2 per cent decline.

Despite this, there are still some Aussies who say they are not planning a USA holiday.

"I wouldn't travel to the USA right now, are you absolutely kidding," said one of our survey respondents.

"I have no interest in going to the US at all," another added.

*The nine.com.au poll, which runs once a fortnight, canvases the views of the nine audience on 9Nation, which is an online community of our readers and Nine viewers.