Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia

Australia: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes was 737,100 trips in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
737,100 trips
Change on year
up 1,265.0%
World rank
33rd
of 175 countries
All-time high
1.84 million trips
in 2019
All-time low
54,000 trips
in 2021
Years of data
28
1995–2022

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia, 1995–2022

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M1995200820221995: 570.0k trips1996: 659.0k trips1997: 692.0k trips1998: 667.0k trips1999: 745.0k trips2000: 851.0k trips2001: 837.0k trips2002: 873.0k trips2003: 900.0k trips2004: 999.0k trips2005: 1.1M trips2006: 1.2M trips2007: 1.3M trips2008: 1.3M trips2009: 1.2M trips2010: 1.4M trips2011: 1.4M trips2012: 1.5M trips2013: 1.4M trips2014: 1.5M trips2015: 1.6M trips2016: 1.6M trips2017: 1.7M trips2018: 1.8M trips2019: 1.8M trips2020: 405.9k trips2021: 54.0k trips2022: 737.1k trips

Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in trips.

Analysis

The most recent figure for arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia is 737,100 trips, measured in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1,265.0% on the previous year and down 49.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia peaked at 1.84 million trips in 2019 and was at its lowest, 54,000 trips, in 2021.

That places Australia 33rd out of 175 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia, 1995 to 2022.
Year trips Change
1995 570,000 trips —
1996 659,000 trips +15.6%
1997 692,000 trips +5.0%
1998 667,000 trips -3.6%
1999 745,000 trips +11.7%
2000 851,000 trips +14.2%
2001 837,000 trips -1.6%
2002 873,000 trips +4.3%
2003 900,000 trips +3.1%
2004 999,000 trips +11.0%
2005 1.10 million trips +10.5%
2006 1.22 million trips +10.3%
2007 1.31 million trips +7.5%
2008 1.34 million trips +2.3%
2009 1.22 million trips -9.0%
2010 1.36 million trips +11.6%
2011 1.42 million trips +4.4%
2012 1.46 million trips +2.5%
2013 1.44 million trips -0.8%
2014 1.49 million trips +3.0%
2015 1.58 million trips +6.3%
2016 1.60 million trips +1.2%
2017 1.74 million trips +9.1%
2018 1.81 million trips +3.6%
2019 1.84 million trips +2.0%
2020 405,900 trips -78.0%
2021 54,000 trips -86.7%
2022 737,100 trips +1265.0%

Australia compared with similar countries

  • Australia's 737,100 trips is above the median for high income countries, which is 279,289 trips, 2.6× the median. (62 countries reporting)
  • Australia's 737,100 trips is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 45,214 trips, 16.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2022 +1265.0% 54,000 trips 737,100 trips
2021 -86.7% 405,900 trips 54,000 trips
2020 -78.0% 1.84 million trips 405,900 trips

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 666,600 trips 570,000 trips 745,000 trips 5
2000s 1.06 million trips 837,000 trips 1.34 million trips 10
2010s 1.57 million trips 1.36 million trips 1.84 million trips 10
2020s 399,000 trips 54,000 trips 737,100 trips 3

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 30 Brazil 978,400 trips compare
  2. 31 Kazakhstan 938,300 trips compare
  3. 32 Estonia 760,000 trips compare
  4. 34 Belarus 732,300 trips compare
  5. 35 Lithuania 727,600 trips compare
  6. 36 Laos 689,900 trips compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia was 737,100 trips in 2022, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 1.84 million trips in 2019.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 54,000 trips in 2021.
How does Australia rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes?
Australia ranks 33rd out of 175 countries with data for 2022.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 49.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/international-trips-for-business-and-professional-reasons/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes
Unit
trips
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
175 places, 3,919 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of international trips where the main purpose is business-related and the visitor stays overnight.