The school holidays are officially underway, and Aussie workers aren’t far behind, with many ready to dive into the Easter long weekend festivities. True to form, Australians remain committed to their time off, with data from the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) finding that more than a quarter of the nation have plans to extend their break and turn it into an extra-long weekend.
28% of the nation will be taking extra leave around the Easter long weekend; 16% plan to take one or two extra days of leave, while 12% will be taking three days of leave, connecting the Easter long weekend to ANZAC Day.
13% were still unsure and thinking about potential leave when this survey was conducted, a month in advance of the holiday.
TTF CEO, Margy Osmond said, “Aussies never miss a chance to turn a long weekend into a mini holiday. With at least one in four planning to take extra time off this Easter, it’s clear we’re a nation that knows how to make the most of our breaks, and this year’s calendar has given us the perfect excuse.”
Ms Osmond also noted that weekends away are a popular choice for Aussies travelling on a budget and with time constraints.
This Autumn, 58% of Australians say that the cost of living has affected their decision to travel. Of those who said costs had impacted their plan, 38% said that the result of these pressures would be that their holiday is ultimately shorter than was originally planned for.
“There’s no mistake about it; Australians are certainly feeling the pinch. However, we’re a resilient bunch and continue to be determined to persevere and prioritise our time away. We’re seeing this reflected in the nation taking shorter trips. By shortening our getaways, we’re also able to travel more frequently.
“The upcoming Easter and ANZAC Day long weekends are no exception, and we’re seeing excitement grow and movements shift as Aussies put the final pieces of their travel plans into place.”
According to TTF’s data, over a third (36%) of Australia plan to travel over the long weekend. 23% plan to travel within their own state, 9% to a different state and 4% will be making a quick trip overseas.
Research from Booking.com has also revealed the most searched Australian accommodation locations during this time[1].
Tracking the top searches during the Easter and ANZAC Day convergence, Booking.com has found that the most accommodation searches have appeared for the Gold Coast. The second most searched location was Sydney, followed by Melbourne, then Cairns and Perth rounding out the top five.
Since this time last year, searches have doubled for four of the top five locations; Gold Coast, Sydney, Cairns, and Perth.
According to Booking.com, this year’s tracked data found that searches had tripled for Byron Bay (no. 8 overall), Port Macquarie (no. 14 overall), and Coffs Harbour (no. 15 overall).
Ms Osmond said, “Booking.com’s data is great news for Queensland, with the Gold Coast emerging as the top searched destination for the Easter and ANZAC weekends. Visitors clearly haven’t been deterred by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, and airfare sales from Virgin and Qantas have made Sunshine State travel even more attractive and affordable.”
These findings were based on Booking.com search data, as well as a nationally representative survey of 1,509 Australians conducted by Pureprofile. The Pureprofile commissioned data ran between the 10th and 14th of March and found:
- 36% of the nation will travel over the Easter long weekend 18 – 21 April. 23% will travel within their own state, while 9% will head interstate. 4% of Aussies will enjoy the long weekend with a quick overseas trip.
- 28% of Australians will take extra leave over Easter, with 12% taking the three days to connect Easter to ANZAC Day.
- 13% were unsure, contemplating taking extra leave a month out from the Easter long weekend.
- Cost of living is still a factor for Australians planning their travel; 58% of the nation said these pressures have affected their decision to travel between 15 March and 15 May.
- Of those who say their decision was affected, 38% said they are going away for a shorter time than was originally planned. 39% are doing fewer activities/spending less money on activities while they’re away, and 31% say they will holiday in Australia rather than overseas.
ENDS
[1] Booking.com searches were recorded from 26 February to 5 March for check-ins Friday 18 April to Sunday 27 April (Easter x Anzac Day Weekend).