Australians are choosing to holiday in their own country, rather than venture outside its borders.
The shift was first seen during the COVID outbreak and continues to become a popular travel choice.
As a result, many small towns throughout Australia have seen economic growth from travellers visiting towns they wouldn’t normally visit.
Sussex Inlet resident, Patrick Debattista said he has seen a change in the number of people choosing the town as a holiday destination, which he said was partly affected by COVID.
“The town’s getting a lot busier,” Mr Debattista said.
“Probably since COVID, more so, but it’s been a steady lift, for the last 10 years at least.”
The number of trips people took was significantly affected by COVID.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has analysed the steady decline in holidays taken during 2020 due to the outbreak.
However, in 2021, more people started to take domestic overnight trips as a form of holiday, overtaking international trips as the main form of holidaying for Australians.
This form of holidaying has become very popular with young families, with the price of trips becoming more affordable compared to overseas travelling costs.
According to the NSW domestic travel report, the average amount spent per night is around $261.8, with the average per visitor around $789.4. This creates a more affordable bracket for younger families when planning a vacation.
High school teacher and young mother, Mrs Katherine Calabrese said the idea of travelling within the country appealed to her and her family through the convenience that it held.
“If we’re going to go anywhere, like the USA or Europe, that’s costing a lot more,” Mrs Calabrese said.
“For fuel and things like that, which is just making it unattainable, without saving for years first.
“So, for us, it was a way of giving the kids something to look forward to, without the high cost of an overseas trip.”
Mrs Calabrese has also noticed that this form of vacationing has become very popular for other young families around her.
“I think a lot of people are putting the money into, imitating that kind of holiday house that you go to,” Mrs Calabrese said.
“But maybe more affordably, like caravanning and doing long road trips, some people are taking kids out of school to do it.”
People are more inclined to holiday throughout the year now, as a result of the destination being closer to home.
Tourism Research Australia has analysed the number of people taking an overnight trip for a holiday throughout 2025, showing the popularity of the trip all year round.
For many people, travelling within Australia has proven to become a popular way to travel with their friends and family, impacted by affordability.
Additional Reporting: Harry Evans
