Aussie travellers have a new favourite. Fresh Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows 45,630 Australians returned from short-term trips to Vietnam in August 2026 — a 30 per cent jump on the same month a year earlier. That's the fastest growth of any Asia-Pacific destination, and it caps a remarkable run: in August 2019, Vietnam recorded just 22,180 Aussie returns. The country has more than doubled its Australian visitation since then.

The broader picture confirms what many have suspected: Aussies are leaning hard into short- and medium-haul escapes. Indonesia, dominated by Bali, remained the number one destination overall with 178,830 returns (11 per cent up, and 18.1 per cent of all outbound travel that month). Fiji posted a 14 per cent rise to 41,950 trips, New Zealand grew nearly seven per cent to 120,830, and China and India both nudged upwards.

The long-haul story is much weaker. The UK slumped another 14 per cent, to 57,950 Aussie returns, following a near double-digit fall in July — ongoing Middle East tensions are one likely factor, given the region sits on common flight routes to Europe. The US, Thailand and Italy all saw small declines too. Notably, US visitation is down dramatically on pre-pandemic figures: 49,600 returns in August 2026 versus 84,600 in August 2019.

Overall outbound travel totalled 986,250 short-term returns in August, up 1.5 per cent year-on-year and now almost six per cent above pre-COVID levels. Inbound travel is a different story: visitor arrivals were flat at 755,530 and still sit 4.3 per cent below August 2019. New Zealand remains the biggest source market, supplying nearly 15 per cent of arrivals, with China second at 106,990.

Within Australia, the Northern Territory led outbound growth at 16.4 per cent, Tasmania was up 8.6 per cent, and Queensland and Western Australia both grew around 4-5 per cent. The ACT fell 8.2 per cent, while the two biggest markets, NSW and Victoria, were essentially flat.

Why should travellers care? The numbers say a lot about where the value is right now. Vietnam's surge isn't a fluke — it reflects strong airline capacity, a favourable exchange rate and costs that run well below Bali or Thailand for food, hotels and internal travel. Expect fares and accommodation in places like Hoi An, Hanoi and Phu Quoc to keep rising as demand climbs, so booking shoulder-season trips is getting smarter. Meanwhile, if you've been eyeing the UK or Europe, softer Aussie demand may work in your favour on fares — though route uncertainty via the Middle East is worth factoring in when choosing carriers.