Aussies are prioritising holidays over rising living costs with four out of five planning a trip in the next 12 months and one in two (55%) saying the current financial situation won’t impact their travel plans, according to the latest Intrepid Travel Index.
After a two-year hiatus, the 2022 Intrepid Travel Index is back with key findings about the post-pandemic travel habits and trending destinations for Aussie travellers based on internal data, third-party research and a global tour leader survey.
For the first time, Australia topped the list of most popular destinations for Aussies, followed by Vietnam, Egypt, Peru and Morocco with more than two-thirds (68%) keen to travel solo.
Intrepid found that domestic travel continues to drive the arrival revival with 58 per cent of Aussies travelling within Australia in 2022 and 79 per cent planning a domestic trip in 2023.
This tracks as the global tour operator recently acquired Perth-based DMC JOOB to expand its Australian operations to meet the demand for domestic trips.
The report also showed First Nations tourism is on the rise with more than one-third of Aussies (32%) interested in a First Nations experience while travelling with 14 per cent researching the First Nations land of their destination.
For bucket-list destinations, Italy came in at first place with USA and Antarctica rounding out the top three.
Intrepid found wellbeing was another important factor for travel with 46 per cent booking a holiday for wellness reasons – one in two citing the benefits for mental health and 59 per cent saying travel has decreased stress and burnout.
A massive 89 per cent of respondents also said they were likely to choose sustainable travel options for their next trip.
Despite COVID concerns, 73 per cent of the 1,000 Australians surveyed said they would travel despite the risk of infection.
According to the survey, 58 per cent of Aussies are conscious of catching COVID on an international trip with more than a third (35%) changing the way they travel, opting for off-the-beaten-track adventures in lesser-populated destinations.
Of the findings, Intrepid Travel Managing Director ANZ Sarah Clark said: “The travel industry is in a very different position from when we launched our last Index in 2019.”
“Our customers have changed and the way they want to travel has changed. We are excited to see the industry bounce back so that we can provide more travellers with opportunities to experience lesser-known destinations, immerse themselves in local cultures and continue to create positive change through the joy of travel.”
For more info, head to intrepidtravel.com/au
