There’s been a major drop in Australians taking a winter holiday compared with previous years despite the appetite for travel being stronger than ever.
According to new data from the Tourism and Transport Forum, just 54 per cent of Aussies surveyed plan to travel this winter compared to 74 per cent two years ago.
Margy Osmond, TTF Australia CEO, said Australians had not fallen out of love with travel but many households were finding it harder to make it happen.
“Holidays remain the number one non-essential spending priority across every generation. But many families are having to make much tougher decisions about whether they can afford to get away this winter,” Ms Osmond said.
Domestic travel has fallen across the board. Just 23 per cent of Australians are planning a holiday within their own state or territory, down from 34 per cent two years ago, while interstate travel has dropped to 18 per cent from 26 per cent.
Overseas travel has eased slightly from 14 per cent in winter 2024 to 12 per cent this year.
More than half of Australians (54 per cent) said cost-of-living pressures had impacted their winter plans, with 16 per cent taking a shorter trip than planned.
Some 15 per cent are choosing a destination closer to home, 15 per cent are cutting back on accommodation spending and 13 per cent are postponing or cancelling altogether.
“While it’s fantastic that the fuel excise relief has been extended through the school holidays, these figures show the tourism industry is still operating in a very challenging environment as households continue to come under pressure,” commented Ms Osmond.
“Every decision to postpone or cancel a holiday has consequences that extend well beyond the traveller. It means fewer visitors staying in accommodation, dining in local restaurants, visiting attractions and supporting businesses in communities right around Australia,”
For those who are travelling, Queensland is the most popular domestic destination at 29 per cent, followed by Victoria at 23 per cent and New South Wales at 22 per cent.
Melbourne has overtaken Sydney as the most popular winter city, attracting 13 per cent of travellers ahead of Sydney at 11 per cent, the Gold Coast at eight per cent and Brisbane at seven per cent.
Overseas, Europe remains the top choice followed by New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan.
Ms Osmond said the results were a reminder that continued investment in destination marketing remained critical.
“States are competing harder than ever for every visitor dollar. Maintaining that investment will be critical to ensuring destinations remain front of mind when Australians are deciding where to travel,” Ms Osmond said.
