Australians champing at the bit to travel lnterstate
– Agoda survey reveals
SYDNEY June 18 2020
80% of Australians are planning to holiday Interstate this year, a survey by digital booking platform Agoda.com has revealed. And with just 9% of Aussies having travelled extensively across the nation we are champing at the bit to explore our own backyards and beyond.
According to Agoda's GoLocal survey, there's a lot of Australia for most of us still to see. While more than half the nation is yet to visit ACT (58%) and South Australia (54%), 8 out of 10 Aussies are still to see the Northern Territory, with two-thirds yet to explore Tasmania and Western Australia.
Agoda's Vice-President of Partner Services, Errol Cooke, said: "The flip side to the current international travel restrictions is that we are seeing a big shift towards domestic travel. Australians are renowned international travelers, and are making the most of the situation to take the opportunity to go local and discover much more of the stunning scenery in their own country."
City breaks topped the list as the most desired destinations followed by small coastal towns such as Byron Bay or Margaret River, islands such as Hamilton Island, Rottnest Island or Kangaroo Island, and the tropics such as Cairns, Port Douglas or Whitsundays. Only one in eight (12%) Aussies are planning to travel to the Outback and one in twelve (8%) to an inland regional centre such as Alice Springs, Kalgoorlie or Dubbo.
Those planning an overseas trip this year, and now can't, are more likely to go as far afield as they can, by holidaying Interstate.
State travel preferences
Travellers living in New South Wales and the ACT, a relaxing island getaway is their first preference. While for Victorians and South Australians, small coastal towns are the top holiday choice in 2020. Queenslanders and West Australian's, on the other hand, are most likely to find a city-break most appealing.
Australia's most visited States are New South Wales (80%), Queensland (75%) and Victoria (72%) with those living in these three States, the most travelled.
Generation preferences
Aussies, the survey found have different holiday aspirations:
· City Break: Gen Z (34%) is most keen on the idea of a city break compared to Millennials (26%), Gen X (22%) and Baby Boomers (19%);
· Outback: Baby Boomers (19%) are more likely than Gen X (12%), Millennials (6%) and Gen Z (8%) to want to travel to the outback;
· Families: Families with children under the age of 18 are more likely to want to visit an island destination, while those without children are more likely to want to travel to the Outback.
Errol Cooke adds: "The beauty of Australia is just how diverse it is, it really has something for everyone. Whether it is hanging out a beach house with friends or family, or exploring an Aussie city for a weekend getaway, Agoda's GoLocal initiative in partnership with local accommodation can help lift your spirits and the local tourism industry."
The independent survey of 1,051 Australians is part of a campaign that sees agoda.com encouraging Aussies to GoLocal and #seemoreaustralia by supporting the hard-hit Australian tourism industry.
