International travel on the rise in Australia and abroad (plus, Where can Australians travel?)

By Jack Dona · · 2 min read
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The number of Australian border crossings is going up, which can only mean one thing: international travel is on the rise. 

There were 1.2 million international border crossings to and from Australia in April 2022, According to provisional data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), which is a significant increase from the previous month’s total of 710,000 crossings.

These latest numbers are knee-high compared to pre-pandemic times, representing a mere third (34%) of the 3.5 million travellers processed in April 2019. But, it’s a drastic change from last year when there were 118,000 international border crossings.

ABS director of migration statistics, Jenny Dobak said of the increase: “With international borders reopening in February and the Easter long weekend and school holidays in April, we have seen an increase in arrivals and departures.

“There were 580,000 overseas arrivals and 610,000 overseas departures in April 2022, the largest number of travellers since the start of the pandemic.”

Where can Australians travel?

Now that many countries have opened their borders to international travellers, us Aussies finally have some options on the table. 

However, it can be difficult to work out where we can actually go, as some countries still have strict border requirements for certain destinations, and others have their gates still firmly closed. 

One way to work out up-to-date info on your destinations of choice is to head over the Australian Government’s Smartraveller website. You’ll then want to use the menu to navigate to the destinations page, where you can pursue the list of countries, or search for a specific place. 

Once you’ve clicked on your destination’s page, there’ll be the latest info regarding COVID-19 entry requirements, advice levels (important for your travel insurance), and things like visas and health risks. 

So, if you’re one of the rising number of travellers intent on international exploration in the coming months, then make sure you sort out your international travel insurance policy ASAP, so you can make the most of your trip.

Compare travel insurance for your next international trip - last updated 7 July 2022

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