Aussie travellers are adapting their booking behaviours as cost pressures continue to influence travel decisions, creating new opportunities for the travel industry to deliver value.
New research shows that rather than stepping away from travel, Australians remain committed to taking trips, but are becoming increasingly strategic in how, when and where they travel.
The Skyscanner study of 2,000 Australians found that nearly 8 in 10 (77%) are willing to cut back on at least one everyday expense to make room for travel in their budgets.
Even as households continue to be mindful of budgets, Australians are still finding ways to protect their travel spend, with 7 in 10 (70%) agreeing travel is worth the financial sacrifice, while half (50%) say they don’t feel guilty about spending money on a trip.
Rather than abandoning holidays, travellers are becoming more flexible about how they take them.
Some 45% would shorten a trip to reduce costs, 39% would adjust travel dates and 35% would compromise on flight convenience.
More than a quarter (28%) have reduced spending while away, while 27% have swapped an overseas holiday for a domestic trip.
Flexibility is increasingly central to finding value, with 94% of respondents saying they adapt their booking behaviour to secure a better price, including travelling off peak, booking ahead, waiting for deals or changing dates.
Jarrod Kris, Skyscanner Travel Expert, said Australians were becoming more strategic about protecting travel within household budgets.
“They’re comparing prices, travelling during more affordable periods and staying flexible on dates and destinations,” Mr Kris said.
“It shows that travel continues to hold an important place in how Australians choose to spend their money.”
Younger travellers showed particularly strong attachment to holidays, with 82% of Gen Z respondents saying travel was important to them.
Nine in 10 had changed their travel habits to better manage costs, while 72% said travel was worth the trade off.
Overall, half of Australians said travel matters more to them now than it did a few years ago, while 88% believe it contributes positively to their wellbeing.
Skyscanner data also identified several destinations where airfares were offering comparatively stronger value.
Return economy fares were available from $438 to Bangkok, down 63% year on year, while Auckland fares were down 45%, Istanbul 32%, Los Angeles 28% and Hong Kong 23%.
Among the most searched destinations, Melbourne fares were 58% below the average seat price, Sydney 43% lower, London 24%, Tokyo 20% and Denpasar 9%.
