Australians are flocking back to international travel. It’s unsurprising, given the lengthy closure of borders during the pandemic and the pent-up demand to which that gave rise. That doesn’t mean however Aussies are travelling with abandon. So what are we most concerned about when deciding on overseas destinations?
A new study has revealed some of the risks and considerations Australians identify as important and essential when choosing a holiday spot abroad.
According to the Europ Assistance 2023 Holiday Barometer, most Australians (or 71 per cent of respondents) say the health of the economy of a destination is relevant to their choice of destination.
Furthermore, one in five (21 per cent) of those polled said a destination’s economy played an essential role in their decision-making.
This relates to many developing countries not offering “many of the modern comforts and conveniences” that travellers from more affluent countries have come to rely on, says the study.
Shockingly, the study found that two in three (65 per cent) respondents said they would avoid destinations where they can’t speak the language. That immediately writes off a lot of places for a lot of people (if the data is accurate).
Elsewhere, three in four (74 per cent) Aussies polled said they wouldn’t travel to cities and regions with high crime rates. This stat makes more sense and rings more true.
While COVID-19 is no longer deemed a pandemic, two in three Australians said they would still avoid locations that increase their risk of COVID infection. This could be linked back to the consideration of a country’s development, where the poorer the nation, the higher the rate of infection.
Ecological impact
Meanwhile, rather sadly, most travellers polled in the survey said they don’t consider their ecological footprint when choosing a holiday spot, despite tourism being responsible for roughly eight per cent of the world’s CO2 output.
According to the study, only six per cent of over-65 respondents considered the ecological footprint of a trip as an essential consideration when booking an international vacation.
Among other age groups, only eight per cent of respondents aged 45-54 answered the same way, compared to 18 per cent of those aged 55-64 and 18-24, 20 per cent of those aged 25-34, and 25 per cent of those aged 35-44.
Europ Assistance, which is the parent of Australian companies Tick Travel Insurance and InsureandGo, commissioned the study.
“The survey results show that Australian travellers have high levels of concern when a destination is likely to impact them personally,” InsureandGo chief commercial officer Jonathan Etkind said.
“The war in Ukraine and the carbon footprint of their travel, for example, are less of a concern as these are unlikely to disrupt their trip.
“We expect that each person’s ecological footprint will become an increasing concern in future years along with education and awareness about low-carbon travel options.
The research took into account the opinions of over 1,000 Australians.
Earlier this year, InsureandGo revealed the surprising travel insurance policy most Aussies are now buying and why.
