Australia has recorded its largest ever decrease in overseas travel with the number of Australians returning home after a short-term trip down 98.1 per cent on the same time last year, according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
With few Australians leaving the country, these decreases, on the back of record falls in March, continue to show the effects of travel restrictions put in place by the Australian government in response to COVID-19.
ABS Director of Migration Statistics Jenny Dobak said 17,000 Australians returned home in April 2020 compared with 916,400 one year earlier.
"Short-term visitor arrivals also fell to 2,200 trips, a 99.7 per cent decrease from the 700,400 recorded in April 2019," Ms Dobak said.
Resident returns by month - short-term trips(a)
