There’s little doubt travel stirs the blood of most people – especially travel-hungry Aussies. But who are Australia’s most “vocal” travellers?
Recently released research by eBay Australia has revealed the Top 100 Things Australians engage with and talk about online – and travel came in at ninth on the list.
According to the study, Sydney is home to the country’s most vocal travellers, with 32 per cent of online conversations and engagement coming from the NSW capital.
Following Sydney was Melbourne (29 per cent), Brisbane (11 per cent) and Perth (eight per cent).
Unsurprisingly, given their predilection for social media, 18-24 year-olds are the most vocal age group when it comes to talking about their passion for travel, with over one third (35 per cent) of that demographic engaging in the topic online.
Popular sub-interests of Aussie globetrotters include guitars and radio station Triple J, with “music”, “food” and “business” frequently featured as bio keywords on their social media accounts.
Interestingly, travel has been top of mind for travellers of late, with a massive rise (46 per cent) in searches for “luggage” between October 2022 and June 2023 on eBay Australia.
Meanwhile, the nation’s top postcode for searches of travel-related items is 3029 in Victoria, which includes the suburbs of Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit and Truganina.
Other passions
Elsewhere, many travel-related passions appear in the Top 100 Things list including photography (21st), wine (35th), 4wd/off-roading (41st), snowboarding (81st), sailing (90th) and scuba diving (95th).
Coffee (56th) and fashion (80th) aficionados also show a strong sub-interest in travel.
According to the analysis of search engine data and more than 16 million social media posts, the vast majority (93 per cent) of people spend at least an hour a week doing their “thing”, with five in six (83 per cent) respondents spending up to $4,000 per year on their biggest passion.
Additionally, over a quarter of Aussies (27.5 per cent) said they had already or are considering turning their passion into a side hustle or job.
“A mental break”
“Research suggests having a strong sense of passion for pursuits you enjoy can have a significant positive effect on an individual’s psychological wellbeing,” Positive Psychology Institute Positive Psychologist and Founder Suzy Green says.
“It’s evident that people are driven to engage with their “thing” due to the positive emotions induced, with the resulting natural dopamine release reinforcing engagement with a hobby, interest or passion.
“Our thing can also provide a mental break from life stressors and can ultimately form part of our identity, fulfilling three key psychological needs: competence, autonomy and even relatedness when we socially connect with others who love the same thing.”
Another 2023 study showed that Australian travellers are throwing their budgets out the window in order to get away.
Meanwhile, travel still ranks as the highest discretionary spend priority at a combined 83 per cent, despite ongoing economic uncertainty, international and domestic concerns.
