TTF fears that cost-of-living pressures will impact Easter spending

Around 64% of Australians say they won't be going away over the Easter holiday period, with 40% unable to afford accommodation or travel expenses, according to a survey released this week by Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) Australia.

The TTF commissioned survey shows 57% of respondents saying cost-of-living pressures have affected their Easter leisure plans, ranking food and grocery prices as the greatest financial strain, followed by petrol prices, energy bills and interest rates.

Of those who will travel, most will journey within their own state.

Concerned by the findings, TTF Chief Executive, Margy Osmond stated "this is concerning for our tourism operators, who are still struggling to recover from the pandemic, and now face the potential flow on effects of rising living costs impacting Easter travel plans.”

Despite the downturn in consumer confidence, millions of passengers are still expected to pass through the nation's airports, marking the busiest weekend since before the COVID pandemic.

Almost seven million travellers are expected to pass through the terminals at Sydney (2.4 million), Melbourne (2.1 million), Brisbane (1.4 million) and Adelaide (800,000) airports over the Easter holiday period.

Airports are preparing for the busiest weekends since Christmas 2019 with Sydney Airport Chief Executive Geoff Culbert saying international passenger volumes are forecast to be more than double what they were last Easter.

Culbert noted “despite the steep airfares, it's clear that many Australians are prioritising an Easter holiday.”

For those who are travelling, regional Victoria is the most popular destination domestically, while New Zealand and Europe are the most popular overseas spots.

While there’s been strong domestic growth for the industry in the past year, these figures reinforce how important it is to reattract international tourists to Australia to help our sector fully recover.

The Bureau of Meteorology has advised that the weekend will see cold fronts bringing cool, wet and windy conditions across the southern states.

TTF Green Revolution Summit
TTF’s is counting down to its much anticipated Green Revolution Summit being held on Thursday 27th April at ICC Sydney.

With the theme is ‘Sustainability Changemakers’, the Summit is aiming to help shape a greener, more sustainable future for tourism, transport and aviation.

Confirmed speakers at the event include Accor's Chief Sustainability Officer, David Young; Boeing's Regional Sustainability Lead for Asia Pacific, Heidi Hauf; Bookingdotcom's Managing Director Laura Houldsworth and Intrepid Travel's Global Environmental Impact Manager, Dr Susanne Etti.

Click here for more information on the TTF Green Revolution Summit in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

Images: Despite concerns over rising living costs, the Sydney Royal Easter Show has advised that pre-sales on tickets have been the strongest in 15 years (top) and TTF Chief Executive, Margy Osmond (below).