Australia has experienced a remarkable upswing in international travel in October 2025, with 1.278 million Australians returning from trips abroad, marking an 11% increase compared to the previous year. This surge resulted in October becoming the largest non-January travel month ever, as highlighted by data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Singapore topped the list of destinations, seeing a 52% rise in Australian visitors, mainly attributed to the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix and coinciding school holidays. The F1 race, which took place on October 5, was crucial in fostering this travel increase.

In prior years, the race occurred in September, which fell outside school holiday windows and limited family trips. The switch to October in 2025, alongside growing interest in local driver Oscar Piastri’s championship run, attracted 47,840 Australian visitors to Singapore, the highest recording since January 2020.

Significant changes were also observed in other travel trends, such as a 19% rise in visits to Japan and a 12% increase in trips to New Zealand, while travel to the US and UK saw declines of 4.9% and 4.6% respectively. Though Singapore ranks 11th on the list of Australian travel spots, it made the most considerable contribution to the growth seen in October.

Shaun McGowan, CEO of TravelInsurance.com.au, noted, “The spike in Singapore visitor numbers illustrates how significantly timing can influence travel behavior. When a major sports event coincides with school holidays, Australian families respond enthusiastically.”

This trend reflects the importance of strategic event planning in shaping travel trends, likely affecting future tourism strategies.