Aviation industry experiences a surge in international travel figures driven by renewed optimism

According to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), international travel made a robust comeback in 2022, providing a significant boost to an industry severely impacted by the pandemic.

The ABS report indicated that over 19 million arrivals and departures were documented throughout the year.

Jenny Dobak, Head of Migration Statistics at ABS said:

"Short-term visitor arrivals in 2022 remained lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of arrivals in January 2022 just 8 per cent of the same period in 2019.

However, the number of arrivals increased steadily over the year and by December had grown to 60 per cent of the same period in 2019.

Similarly, by December 2022, the number of short-term resident returns had increased to 71 per cent of the corresponding month in 2019."

New Zealand replaced China as the largest source of visitors

In his article in The New Daily, George Hyde noted that New Zealand replaced China as the largest source of visitors, with 698,000 arrivals from the neighbouring country.

Other countries in the mix included Indonesia, Canada and Germany, which were not present in the top 10 source countries in 2019.

Mr Hyde commented:

"While New Zealand was the largest source of visitors, arrivals from India (303,000) had the strongest recovery in 2022, reaching 76 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Singapore (296,000) was the next strongest of the top 10 source countries, reaching 62 per cent of its 2019 level.

China accounted for just 6 per cent of its pre-pandemic level."

While business travel is still low, families are reunited

As per ABS data, the aviation industry displayed a remarkable performance in December.

A spokesperson for Melbourne Airport noted that domestic and international travel and capacity were on the rise, leading to a bustling environment.

The return of foreign carriers and increased capacity during the summer season allowed people to travel to and from Australia.

The spokesperson shared that 37% of the airport's travellers were visiting friends and relatives, and there was a noticeable decrease in business travel.

They also mentioned an increase in Indian travellers, possibly due to expanded flight options, and an increase in inbound traffic from China indicating a return of international students.

Source of charts and some commentary: The New Daily

About Joseph Ballota Joseph is a Property Coach who put hundreds of people on the road towards wiping away their mortgage in under 5 years through expert Property Investment Plans.