AUSTRALIA | The strong bond between Queensland and Japan is flourishing, with two-way travel soaring well beyond pre-pandemic levels.
Japan has become Queensland’s fastest-growing international market, with a 124 percent rise in Japanese visitors arriving at Brisbane Airport over 2019 numbers. Each day, an average of 236 Japanese visitors arrive through Brisbane Airport (12 months to Feb-25), with Japan now the fifth biggest inbound market (behind New Zealand, UK/Europe, USA, and China). This reaffirms the importance of the tourism relationship that has long been central to the state’s international visitor economy.
Meanwhile, interest from Queenslanders visiting Japan has surged, with a 255 percent increase in outbound travel vs 2019. Each day there are an average of 494 Australian residents departing Brisbane Airport for Japan (12 months to Feb-25), with Japan now the fourth biggest outbound market (behind New Zealand, UK/Europe, and Indonesia), and overtaking USA and Fiji
"The facts back up what your Instagram feed is already showing, Japan is a hot destination for Queenslanders right now. But we're also seeing strong growth in the number of Japanese visitors coming to Queensland, which is great news for tourism operators in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Great Barrier Reef," noted Ryan Both, Aviation Executive General Manager at Brisbane Airport.
“We know when Brisbane Airport is busy, Queensland is thriving.”
Visitors from the United States are now the third-largest group of international tourists flying into Brisbane, thanks to improved flight connections to North America.
In the past year, flights by American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have joined carriers United Airlines, Qantas and Air Canada in boosting travel across the Pacific.
“The rise of the U.S. to our third-largest inbound market highlights the growing appeal of Queensland to American travellers, helped by cultural icons like Bluey and growing global awareness ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The findings are sourced from the latest passenger arrival card data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Brisbane Airport (+ 12 percent) has also overtaken Melbourne Airport (+ eight percent) and Sydney Airport (+ two percent) for international recovery in February 2025 vs February 2019.
The majority of international passengers through Brisbane airport are travelling for a holiday (49 percent), while 31 percent are visiting friends and relatives and 12 percent are on business.
New Zealand remains Brisbane’s biggest international market, with 1.3 million passengers per year travelling across the ditch, an exact 50/50 split of inbound Kiwis and outbound Australians.
“Travel between Brisbane and New Zealand remains our number one market, proving that visiting the neighbours is always a top choice for both Kiwis and Queenslanders.”
More news here.
