With an increased capacity to travel—due to Christmas, New Year and school holidays—most Australians favored domestic travel over the December - January period.This is according to online accommodation provider, HotelClub.

Bookings for the summer holiday period have increased by 86 percent from 2004/2005 to 2005/2006.

75 percent of the bookings made by Australians in 2005/2006 were for destinations within Australia.

The top destinations where Australians traveled to over summer included eight Australian cities and only two overseas cities, compared with 2004/2005.

Australians are also opting for shorter and more frequent stays and spending more money on leisure activities with the average booking duration of 2.5 nights (based on HotelClub bookings) with an average spend of AUS$403 per booking.

Additionally, 25 percent of bookings by Australians for international destinations included: New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, Italy and the UK. Kuala Lumpur and other Asian cities are emerging as strong choices for Australian travelers.

“Australians are taking holidays with an ever increasing number of choices at their disposal—including a wide range of domestic and international options to choose from. Australia has everything from beaches to snowy mountains for skiing holidays. In addition, Asia and the Pacific Islands are within easy reach and are becoming a more affordable option with low-cost air carriers at their disposal,” said Chloe Lim, Director of Sales and Marketing, HotelClub.
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