TripAdvisor has released findings from its Summer Travel Index for 2020, providing insights into what Australians are up to for the holidays. The Year-end travel trends are based on a Tripadvisor Traveller Sentiment Survey of Australian respondents from 16-20 October, 2020.
2020 Summer Travel Trends
- Travel is down in most APAC markets, but in Australia and Singapore, travel interest has grown to well above 2019 volumes (+11.5 YoY in Australia and +34.8% YoY in Singapore)
- Doing extra homework before trips: For their next trip, more than 60% of Australian travellers will be doing more research and planning than they did pre-pandemic
- Supporting local businesses is vital. 71% of Australian travellers surveyed indicated that they would prefer to travel to destinations to support their local business
- Outdoor and Nature trips are still preferred: 42% of travellers are most likely to pick outdoor and nature type destinations as compared to pre-pandemic
- Dining out in December: 61% of Australian travellers will be out and about dining in restaurants in December – this is in line with the number of COVID-19 cases in Australia trending downwards, and lockdown measures easing across states
“As we continue to navigate the disruptions the pandemic has brought upon the travel industry in 2020, it’s heartening to see some bright spots of recovery in APAC and that travellers here remain positive that travel will return,” said Jane Lim, VP for Global Markets at Tripadvisor. “We are seeing Australians actively explore staycations and local getaways, especially as we head into the year-end holiday season, with 55 percent of travellers looking to spend time with family and friends and celebrate in small, close knit groups.”
“After a challenging year, confidence in future travel plans continues to rise. 78 percent of Australians feel at least moderately safe to travel this holiday season.” said Christopher Hsi, Consumer Market Research Lead Analyst for Tripadvisor. “As we look ahead to 2021, flexibility and safety will remain top priorities. And with recent positive news about vaccine developments, confidence is likely to grow. In fact, over three-quarters (79%) of Australians believe that it’s safer to travel now than it was three months ago.”
TripAdvisor Top 10 Fastest Recovering Domestic Destinations for the Holidays*
Based on year-over-year hotel interest
- Port Macquarie NSW
- Newcastle NSW
- Airlie Beach QLD
- Pokolbin NSW
- Coffs Harbour NSW
- Caloundra QLD
- Nelson Bay NSW
- Hamilton Island QLD
- Port Douglas QLD
- Palm Cove QLD
TripAdvisor Top 10 Slowest Recovering Domestic Destinations for the Holidays*
Based on year-over-year hotel interest
- Coolangatta QLD
- Adelaide SA
- Main Beach QLD
- Brisbane QLD
- Canberra ACT
- Surfers Paradise QLD
- Broadbeach QLD
- Perth WA
- Sydney NSW
- Melbourne VIC
*Year-end travel destinations based on Tripadvisor platform data for domestic travel to popular destinations in Australia and APAC around the year-end holiday season (12/1/20-1/31/21), during September and October, 2020.
