Australians set to spend their holidays by the coast with family and pets this Christmas

Australians taking holidays over the summer months will take their vacations domestically instead of overseas, with most taking a trip to the coast with family between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, according to a new survey commissioned by Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Australia.

One in six Australians will take their pet with them and the most popular accommodation choice is to stay at a friend or relative’s place.

Nearly three quarters of Australians (72%) will holiday in Australia and most plan to stay within their own state, with only 6.5% of those surveyed heading overseas this summer.

However, the number of Australians travelling overseas is set to rise to 28% within the next 12 months, with Europe the most popular destination, followed by New Zealand, then Bali.

The national survey of 1,500 people, conducted by polling company Pure Profile, also reveals:

TTF's findings:

• This summer, 46% of Australians surveyed will holiday by the beach or at a coastal spot, while 17% will holiday at a city destination and 17% in a regional area.
• 63% will holiday with their immediate family, 14% will travel alone and 12% with friends or extended family. Also, 16% will take a pet with them.
• 37% will leave for their holiday in December and 36% will leave in January, with the rest still undecided. The highest proportion of those surveyed (18%) will leave between 26th and 31st December. 
• 33% will stay at a friend or relative’s place, 31% will stay in a hotel, motel or serviced apartment, 14% will stay in an Airbnb or Stayz property and 13% will stay in a caravan park or campground. 
• The most popular activities over summer for Australians will be shopping (75%), visiting friends or family (69%), going to the beach or local swimming pool (59%) and going to a park or bushwalking (53%), as more Australians seek out nature-based experiences post-pandemic.
• More than a quarter of Australians also plan to visit a regional destination (27%), and others will visit an attraction like a zoo or theme park (23%), go to a museum or gallery (21%), attend a music festival, concert or theatre performance (19%) or a sporting event (16%).
• 72% of Australians surveyed plan to holiday in Australia, including 54% who’ll holiday in their own state and 18% who’ll travel interstate. A further 6.5% will go overseas and 21.5% won’t go on holiday.

Overseas Travel
• Even though only 6.5% of Australians surveyed will travel overseas this summer, 28% plan to travel overseas within the next 12 months (including 16% within the next 0 to 6 months and 12% within the next six to 12 months).
• Europe is the top destination for Australians holidaying overseas within the next year (21% of those surveyed plan to visit Europe), followed by New Zealand (14%), Bali (12%), Japan (7%), Thailand (7%), USA (6%), Pacific Islands (6%), UK (5%) and India (4%).

Encouraging all Australians to take a holiday, TTF Chief Executive, Margy Osmond advised "it’s great to see so many Australians holidaying here at home this summer and many within their own state. This way, they can spend time with family and friends and even take their pet to enjoy a relaxing break.

“Over summer we’re seeing more Australians choosing to holiday by the coast and enjoy the warmer weather. A large portion plan to go to the beach or national park, to make the most of Australia’s spectacular natural beauty.”

“Domestic tourism is booming. Thank you to all those Aussie travellers who’ve decided to explore their own backyard and help our local tourism operators recover. This should be a bumper summer period for our sector.”

“While more Australians are looking to travel overseas next year, especially young people, we’re also expecting more international visitors to head down under. This will be the first summer in Australia without any restrictions since the pandemic, so we should finally see the influx of overseas tourists we’ve been waiting for.”

Image: North Shore Beach on the Sunshine Coast. Credit: Visit Sunshine Coast.