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Domestic tourism under threat as driving holidays die a slow death
Latest research shows the number of Australians under 30 who like going away for weekends has dropped 14 per cent over the past decade and when they do travel domestically they are more likely to fly.
While they are taking less holidays overall, when they do they are choosing to forgo a domestic break and save for an overseas holiday instead.
Jane Ianniello, who is director of tourism, travel and leisure at Roy Morgan Research, said destinations such as the Hunter Valley in NSW and the Great Ocean Road in Victoria were among the places bearing the brunt of the downturn in driving holidays.
The rise in the popularity of overseas holidays is not just price driven, with Australian Bureau of Statistic Holiday Consumer Price Index showing we can see that over the decade the price of an overseas holiday has risen at around the same rate as a domestic one.
Discount domestic airfares have kept Australian holiday prices competitive with despite the strong Australian dollar but it has also means less people are driving.
"Although the fluctuations in overseas travel might be driven by the dollar, the overall trend is driven by the increasing appeal of overseas holiday destinations,[url=http://www.fcgeo.ca]ugg outlet[/url]," Ms Ianniello said.
"Under 30yearolds are very cash strapped at the moment and their disposable income is declining because of things like high mortgage repayments, rental stress and students having to pay HECs and undertaking more tertiary education.
"They're taking less annual holidays but when they do take a holiday they're choosing to save up and go overseas.
"It's really bad news for domestic tourism."
The Tourism Trends A Decade in Review report found a growing number of Australians under 30 say it only feels like a holiday if they have left Australia, up six per cent to 15 per cent in the past decade.
Instead, short and mediumhaul destinations such as New Zealand, Bali, Thailand and Singapore were becoming popular thanks to discount airfares and improved access.
Fiji, China, Middle East, Japan, India and Vietnam were also growing in popularity.
Experiencing the local culture was the most important requirement for travellers heading overseas, with 82 per cent of holidaymakers mentioning it.
When it came to domestic holidays being away from crowds, being in a natural setting and experiencing the local culture were all important.
The report found Melbourne was outperforming other destinations in Australia, but Canberra and Brisbane had also done well.
More people were also researching and booking holidays on the internet, with the number using travel agents falling 17 per cent to 54 per cent in the past ten years.