Spring is in the air, and Aussies are taking flight! New data reveals more than two-thirds of Australians are taking to the skies (or hitting the road) for a holiday this season, with a major trend towards domestic trips. Wondering where everyone’s heading? Strap in.
According to the latest Tourism and Transport Forum (TFF) survey, 67 per cent of Australians are heading on a holiday between now and the end of October. Of those travellers, 35 per cent are travelling within their own state or territory, one-fifth are heading interstate and just 11 per cent are venturing overseas.
With its sparkling coastline and endless sunshine, it’s no surprise that Australians are flocking to the East Coast this spring. New South Wales leads as the most popular state for travellers (29 per cent), followed by Queensland (25 per cent) and Victoria (22 per cent). A similar trend emerges for city rankings, with Sydney (13 per cent), Melbourne (ten per cent) and Brisbane (seven per cent) claiming the top three spots.
If you're hitting up Sydney, we recommend timing your trip with Sculpture by the Sea – Australia's largest annual outdoor sculpture exhibition along the Bondi Beach to Tamarama coastal walk from October 17 to November 3. In Brisbane, visitors can dive into MELT Festival, the city's colourful celebration of LGBTQIA+ arts and culture, running from October 22 to November 9. Meanwhile, Melbourne-bound travellers should take a day trip to the famous Tesselaar Tulip Festival, with millions of blooms on display until October 12.
Narrowing in on regional hotspots, the Gold Coast (seven per cent) and Sunshine Coast (four per cent) emerge as the most sought-after spots – and it’s easy to see why, with Queensland practically serving up summer all year round. NSW’s South Coast and Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula are other firm favourites among domestic travellers – and they’re some of our personal favourites too. We highly recommend a trip to Hyams Beach, where you can relax on the 'world’s whitest sands', or visiting Peninsula Hot Springs, where more than 70 bathing and wellness experiences await.
Setting our sights further afield, New Zealand takes the crown as the number one overseas spring destination for Australians, accounting for 14 per cent of trips. It overtook Europe, the top winter getaway spot, which now sits in third place, making up just ten per cent of international trips. Meanwhile, Japan climbs from fourth most popular in winter to second this spring (13 per cent), followed by Thailand, the USA, the UK and Vietnam.
Overall, travel is down four per cent compared with this time last year, when 71 per cent of Australians had plans to get away. Cost is the biggest barrier for almost half of Aussies, with most travellers planning to spend less than $5,000 on their holiday – including 41 per cent who aim to keep the entire trip under $2,000. Other factors holding people back include difficulty getting time off work or study (14 per cent) and family commitments (13 per cent). Can’t get time off? Make the most of your weekends with a camping trip… or just YOLO it, quit your job and book that one-way ticket.