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SPRING HOLIDAY PLANS REVEALED AHEAD OF BUMPER TRAVEL WEEKEND
71% of Australians will enjoy a well-earned getaway these Spring school holidays, according to new research released today by the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) ahead of one of the busiest days of the year at our nation’s airports.
The national survey of 1,500 Australians, conducted by Pure Profile, reveals where Australians are holidaying in September and October over the school holiday period, which starts today in NSW, ACT, SA and TAS.
Air passengers are urged to allow plenty of time to board their flight, with nearly 300,000 people set to transit through Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports today ahead of the AFL Grand Final, which is fuelling an influx of interstate travel.
TTF CEO Margy Osmond said it was fantastic to see so many Australians taking a much-needed holiday over the coming weeks.
“Australians are clearly keen to travel these school holidays, even as families continue to feel the pinch from rising living costs, with the vast majority taking some sort of break before the end of next month,” Ms Osmond said.
“It’s wonderful to see so many Australians are planning to explore the natural beauty of their own state at this time of year and support our local tourism operators.”
“While anyone heading interstate can expect busier airports than usual, passengers need to show patience, stay up to date with any flight changes online and give themselves enough time to check in and board their plane.”
The research, which surveyed Australians about their travel plans between 1 – 6 September 2024, found:
• 71% of Australians are going on a holiday this September or October. This includes 33% of Australians travelling within their own state and 25% interstate. A further 13% will holiday overseas, compared with 12% this time last year.
• The most popular state for Australians to visit this spring will be NSW, followed by QLD, then VIC and SA. The top city will be Sydney, followed by Melbourne and Brisbane. Popular regional areas include the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Far North Queensland, NSW Far North Coast, NSW Mid-North Coast and WA’s Margaret River region and surrounds.
• The most sought-after overseas destination this spring is Japan, according to those surveyed, followed by Europe, Indonesia, New Zealand, the USA & UK.
• 1 in 5 pet-owners will take their pet(s) with them on holiday, while 80% will leave their pet(s) with loved ones or a pet-sitter.
Friday, 27 September 2024
• Two thirds of Australians (66%) are going away for seven days or less this spring. And 80% plan to spend less than $5000 on their holiday, including 41% who’ll spend less than $2000.
• 54% of Australians say cost-of-living pressures have impacted their spring travel plans, relatively unchanged from 55% this time last year, suggesting financial pressures have not eased. For those impacted, 23% are shortening their trip, 10% will holiday locally instead of overseas, 9% will stay with family or friends and 5% will spend less on activities during their stay or have chosen a cheaper hotel than they’d like.
• The #1 financial strain this spring is interest rates/mortgage repayments, followed by food and grocery prices, then rental payments. While this time last year, Australians ranked food and grocery prices as their top financial strain, followed by petrol prices, energy bills, then interest rates.
• The #1 non-essential spending priority is holidays/travel (by 25% of Australians), followed by personal care/make-up/skincare (20%) and gifts for others (14%).
• 81% of Australians plan to go on a holiday within the next 12 months, including 29% who plan to travel overseas.
• The most popular state for Australians to visit within the next 12 months will be QLD, the top city will be Sydney and the most popular regional area will be the Gold Coast. While the top overseas destination will be Europe, followed by New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia and the USA.
Further quotes attributable to Tourism & Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond: TTF CEO Margy Osmond warned that despite many Australians planning to take a holiday this spring, tourism operators are feeling the impact of cost-of-living pressures.
“While it’s great to see many families are taking a break these school holidays, the cost-of-living crunch is still hurting, impacting tourism operators and the many thousands of Australians they employ across the country,” Ms Osmond said.
“It seems financial pressures are influencing travels plans just as much these spring holidays as this time last year, with no sign of relief. We’re seeing many Australians shortening their trip, travelling locally instead of overseas or interstate, or staying with family or friends.”
“Even though the appetite for travel is strong, these figures show the Australian tourism sector is still feeling the effect of cost-of-living pressures among other challenges, which need to be addressed.”
“Tourism operators across Australia are still grappling with a skills shortage, a highly competitive global tourism market and seeing fewer international visitors than before the pandemic. While the industry has shown remarkable resilience since Covid, the recovery is not over yet.”
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