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Real estate agents out, travel agents in: Aussies’ surprising 2025 savings goal

Forget house hunting—Australians in 2025 are hunting down their next holiday, with nearly half (49%) saving for travel instead of mortgages. According to a Money.com.au survey, nearly half of Aussies (49%) are putting their savings towards holidays rather than houses (25%), proving that the dream home can wait, but that dream trip can’t.

Forget house hunting—Australians in 2025 are hunting down their next holiday, with nearly half (49%) saving for travel instead of mortgages. According to a Money.com.au survey, nearly half of Aussies (49%) are putting their savings towards holidays rather than houses (25%), proving that the dream home can wait, but that dream trip can’t.

Sean Callery, Money.com.au’s finance expert, says this shift is a reflection of changing values. 

“Travel is clearly a priority for Australians heading into 2025, ahead of other major financial goals like buying a house or investing,” he said. 

“This highlights a growing trend of valuing experiences and making memories, alongside traditional financial security and planning for tomorrow.”

Of course it could also because a trip away is actually attainable, whereas a house these days…

Callery also noted the dedication Aussies bring to their travel savings. “A third of people we surveyed said they spend up to a year saving for a trip, which shows just how much value Australians place on travel and the time they’re willing to invest to make it happen.”

Which generation is saving the most for travel

You might expect this wanderlust to be driven by the ‘gram-loving Gen Z or FOMO-fuelled Millennials, but it’s Boomers who are leading the pack. 

Do Boomers love to travel more or do they just have more disposeable income?
Do Boomers love to travel more or do they just have more disposeable income?

Over half (54%) of those surveyed in the Boomer age group put travel at the top of their financial goals, beating out the younger generations. But not by too much. Gen Z followed closely at 52%, with Millennials at 48% and Gen X at 47%.

Maybe it’s because Boomers bought their homes back when wages and house prices were still on speaking terms. But after years of house maintenance, they’re ready to trade weekend Bunnings run for poolside cocktails in Bali.

The Aussie state saving the most for holidays in 2025

Geographically, Western Australians are the true travel trailblazers, with 54% prioritising holiday savings. Perhaps it’s their proximity to Bali and Singapore, or perhaps they’re just better at spotting a good thing when they see it. Queenslanders weren’t far behind at 53%, while South Australians (47%) and New South Wales residents (46%) proved slightly less eager to stash their cash for getaways.

“Western Australians have a natural travel advantage with their closer proximity to destinations like Bali and Singapore, which are consistently among the most popular choices for Australians,” Callery said.

Are rising travel costs stopping Aussies from booking trips?

Now, before you roll your eyes and mutter about the rising cost of living, consider this: holiday travel and accommodation prices may have jumped 8% in the 12 months to October 2024, but that hasn’t slowed Aussies down. Tourism GDP grew by 9.1% in the 2023/24 financial year, driven by $160.2 billion in domestic tourism spending.

via GIPHY

It’s clear that even in an era of economic uncertainty, Australians are prepared to pay a little more for their escapes. After all, no one’s Instagram feed ever blew up with photos of a freshly refinanced mortgage.