Some 588,490 Australians visited Vietnam during the period, up 17.4% year on year and just 60 fewer than the 588,550 trips to the U.K., ATIA’s October 2026 Travel Trends Report showed.
The report draws on Australian Bureau of Statistics overseas arrivals and departures data.
Vietnam’s growth was particularly strong in August, when the number of trips jumped by 30.3% year on year to 45,630.
ATIA director of compliance and membership Nina Hedges described Vietnam as “the one to watch,” highlighting its growth and narrow gap with the U.K.
“On current trends, it won’t stay behind for long.”
Vietnam’s tourism authorities have highlighted the country’s accessibility and variety of experiences as attractions for Australian holidaymakers.
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Tourists on the sandy beach in Da Nang in central Vietnam. Photo by Pexels |
Direct flights, shorter flights than to Europe, and the chance to combine beach holidays with local food and culture make Vietnam appealing to Australian travelers, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said on its website.
The article highlighted central Vietnam, where visitors can combine coastal resorts with heritage attractions.
It also described experiences ranging from exploring local markets to cruising through river deltas, illustrating the variety available within a single trip.
Vietnam’s rise is also part of the broader growth in Australians’ travel to Asia.
Together with China and Japan, it accounted for almost 250,000 more people compared with the previous year, according to ATIA.
Meanwhile, travel to the U.K. and U.S. declined over the same period.
Overall, Australians made 12.77 million overseas trips in the year to August, up 3.2%.