A TWO-WAY love affair between Australia and Japan was at the heart of a record month for the tourism industry in   March. 
Overseas arrivals were up 11.5 per cent on   March 2015, to 754,600 - led by a 26 per cent increase in Japanese visitors.
At the same time, Japan experienced significant growth in Aussie arrivals with numbers up 32 per cent.
Travellers from China, Hong Kong and South Korea also continued to pour into Australia at a phenomenal rate, aided by increased airline services and capacity.
Tourism Australia managing director John O'Sullivan said there was "plenty to like about the figures".
A breakdown of Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed Queensland and the Northern Territory were firmly back in favour with foreign tourists as the appeal of NSW and Victoria contracted.A recent David Attenborough documentary on the Great Barrier Reef helped sell Queensland's merits, which are set to be further enhanced when the Gold Coast hosts the Australian Tourism Exchange this month.