Why settle for one vacay when you can squeeze two holidays into one summer break? Australians are doing just that with domestic flight bookings for January/February 2025 spiking by 106 per cent the week after Boxing Day compared to 12-19 December 2024.
Webjet also found that 87 per cent of all domestic trip bookings made during that week (26 December 2024 – 2 January 2025) were scheduled for travel in January 2025.
It shows Aussies are keen to book last-minute getaways after the Christmas–New Year break, which is great news for travel advisors and domestic tourism.
Top destinations for domestic trips
Capital cities and beach destinations have captured the interest of Aussie holidaymakers with Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth in the top five flight bookings.
Melbourne has also just kicked off hosting the Australian Open, running until 26 January 2025, which is a top drawcard for leisure visitors and business travellers alike.
Other popular destinations for domestic trips include Adelaide, Hobart, Cairns, Maroochydore and Launceston.
Last year, Queensland was still the top domestic holiday destination in Australia. In 2023, it outperformed other states in tourism recovery.
Top destinations for international trips
In addition, international flight bookings during that post-Christmas period also increased by 31 per cent compared to those booked between 12-19 December 2024.
The top five international destinations for Aussies are Bali, Auckland, Tokyo, Queenstown and Christchurch as holidaymakers seek close-to-home holidays and, in the case of Japan, snowsports trips.
Rounding out the top 10 international destinations booked for travel between 1 January – 28 February 2025 are Bangkok, Manila, Los Angeles, Fiji and Wellington.
