Price and flexibility top Aussie travellers priorities according to News Corp Australia study
More Australians are making travel plans with price and flexibility in mind, as they adopt strategies like off-season travelling to explore without the crowd and a hefty price tag on their trips. That’s according to the latest News Corp Australia study.
The media owner released its biannual Travel Trend Forecast yesterday for the period between July and December 2023.
It found that 61% of travellers said the lowest price is one of the most important factors when making bookings, and two in three agreed that price is more important now than it was before.
More people were booking ahead of time, as 32% of respondents said they booked more than seven months out, versus 20% this time last year.
However, there was also an increased expectation of flexibility, with 68% saying flexible booking is more important now than it was previously and 34% saying it is one of the most important factors when booking to avoid penalties and loss.
News Corp Australia’s managing director, food, health and travel, Fiona Nilsson, added that in terms of destination, New Zealand still holds the top spot, followed by the UK.
“We have seen a big jump in interest in Japan, and the other big movers have been Thailand and Greece. We are seeing a more balanced top ten, showing that other destinations have opened up and that travellers have confidence in travelling more broadly.”
In terms of consumer trends, off-season travel came up as a prominent phenomenon as brands also recognised this shift when formulating campaigns. The off-season travellers sought a more affordable trip that allowed them to relax and have the ability to explore without the crowds.
Other trends identified include:
- Intimate: More than one in three travellers agreed that their ideal holiday would be an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones, deepen relationships, treat the family, and spend extended time together.
- Screen Lust: Screen Lust travellers are ready to go far to see their favourite shows/movies in real life. They want to travel like the rich and famous in a ‘Hollywood style’ with their partner, with the help of a travel agent for a luxury and indulgent holiday.
- Extended Work/Play: Australians are capitalising on the work-from-home culture to enable themselves to travel for longer, by mixing business with pleasure for an extended time away. Australians who want to add a little work to their holiday are young and are booking early.
- Sustainable Intention & Action: Sustainability is important to most travellers, but there is a segment who have purposeful sustainable intentions. They are willing to pay more for
sustainability, both through how they pay and what they do.
Methodology: The biannual Trend Forecast uses the behavioural data from the News Travel Network audience, combined with a recent consumer survey of just over 1,000 people^ to understand sentiment, intent and motivating factors in booking both domestic and international travel.This is overlaid with global and domestic research and the insights of the company’s senior travel editors to predict the key consumer travel trends that will shape the next six months.
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Darcy Song is a reporter at Mumbrella, covering media owners, adtech and social platforms. She joined in March 2022 as an editorial assistant.
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