India becomes Western Australia’s 7th biggest visitor market as WA steps up its India strategy

Western Australia is no longer treating India as a side market. It is now treating Indian travellers as a serious part of its future visitor growth, and the latest numbers show why. In the year ending September 2025, Western Australia recorded 45,000 visitors from India, a 21 per cent increase on the previous year, placing India seventh among WA’s top 10 international markets. Tourism Western Australia Managing Director Anneke Brown says the focus for 2026 is now “accelerated expansion” in the Indian market.

That shift matters to Indian Australians for a simple reason. Travel from India to Australia is not driven only by short holidays. It is also shaped by family connections, repeat visits, migration links and longer stays. Tourism Australia’s India market snapshot says Indian traveller expenditure in Australia reached A$2.7 billion in the year ending September 2025, up 15 per cent from 2024. It also notes that visitors from India travelling to visit friends and relatives stay the longest, with an average trip duration of 66 days.

Why Western Australia is paying closer attention to India

Western Australia has been enjoying a strong broader tourism recovery. The WA Government said the state recorded 1.1 million international visitors in the year ending December 2025, the highest international visitor number ever recorded in WA, with those travellers spending A$3.4 billion. The same statement said WA outpaced every other Australian state and territory for international visitor growth in 2025.

Against that backdrop, India’s rise into WA’s top source markets becomes more significant. Brown said Tourism Western Australia sees India as one of its priority growth markets, and that the state is trying to stand out in a crowded tourism environment where travellers have many options. Rather than relying only on broad promotion, WA is using familiarisation programs with Indian trade and media partners so they can experience the destination first-hand and then sell it through more credible storytelling.

The VFR segment is doing heavy lifting

One of the most important parts of WA’s India strategy is its recognition of VFR travel, or visits to friends and relatives. Brown said around two-thirds of Indian visitors fall into that category, and that this segment usually leads to longer stays and repeat travel. That is highly relevant for Indian-origin families already spread across Australia, because Perth and Western Australia are not just being promoted as isolated leisure destinations. They are being positioned as places that can sit naturally within longer family-linked trips.

This also helps explain why WA is pushing multi-day and multi-stop itineraries rather than quick city breaks. Brown said Tourism Western Australia is encouraging travellers to combine city experiences with nearby regions, nature, wildlife and premium experiences, while also giving travel partners ready-to-sell itineraries, pricing frameworks and guidance on ideal trip durations. In other words, WA wants Indian travellers to stay longer and spend more time beyond Perth alone.

Connectivity remains central to growth

Tourism promotion alone is not enough. Air access still shapes whether a destination feels practical, especially for Indian travellers balancing cost, time and convenience. Brown said Tourism Western Australia is working with Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Scoot and Batik Air to promote one-stop services via Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. That shows WA understands a key reality: easier access will be critical if it wants stronger growth from India in 2026 and beyond.

WA’s India growth strategy appears to be built around three linked strengths: longer-stay VFR travellers, improved airline access and itineraries that turn Perth into a gateway to wider regional experiences. That reading is based on Brown’s comments about VFR, airline partnerships and ready-to-sell multi-city travel products.

What this means for Indian Australians

For Indian Australians, this is a useful shift to watch. As more state tourism bodies compete for Indian travellers, WA is trying to make itself easier to sell as both a family-linked and leisure destination. That could mean better-packaged itineraries, more targeted airline promotions, and more consistent marketing aimed at Indian audiences. It also reflects a wider national reality: India is no longer a niche inbound market for Australia. It is a major visitor and spending market with strong long-stay potential.

Western Australia’s challenge now is not proving that India matters. The data already does that. The challenge is converting interest into bookings at scale. If WA can keep improving connectivity and keep giving Indian travellers stronger reasons to stay longer, India’s ranking in the state’s top international markets may not stay at number seven for long.