With September school holidays just around the corner, Expedia Brands’ (Expedia and Wotif) Spring Travel Outlook reveals trending and affordable destinations, with insights and tips for Aussies wanting to grab a last-minute deal for both local and international travel.  

New data from Expedia and Wotif shows Aussies are prioritising beach destinations with strong demand on Wotif for the Gold Coast, Queensland and Coffs Harbour, NSW. Close-to-home Asian destinations including Bali (+34%) and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (+28%) have also witnessed a year-on-year increase in demand, showcasing Aussie families are after value for money overseas travel.  

The most popular spring school holiday destinations: 

Most popular domestic spring school holiday destinations (excluding capital cities)1	Most popular international spring school holiday overseas destinations2
Gold Coast, QLD  Sunshine Coast, QLD  Cairns, QLD  Coffs Harbour, NSW  The Whitsundays, QLD  Byron Bay, NSW  Noosa, QLD  Central Coast, NSW  Newcastle, NSW  Port Stephens, NSW	Denpasar, Bali  London, United Kingdom  Tokyo, Japan  Los Angeles, USA  Singapore  Bangkok, Thailand  Kathmandu, Nepal  Rome, Italy  New York, USA   Paris, France

The top trending spring school holiday destinations  

Trending domestic spring school holiday destinations3	Trending international spring school holiday overseas destinations4
Sydney, NSW (+132%)  Brisbane, QLD (+102%)  Coffs Harbour, NSW (84%)  Townsville, QLD (+49%)  Launceston, TAS (+40%)	Denpasar, Bali (+34%)  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (+28%)  Bangkok, Thailand (+20%)  Hanoi, Vietnam (+18%)  Manila, Philippines (+10%)

Sarah King, Expedia Brands Travel Expert, says, “The September school holidays are a family favourite for booking a getaway, especially with the weather heating up. Luckily, it’s not too late to find a great deal and for those who can embrace flexibility, take the time to research destinations and test different date ranges to find the best value.” 

For travellers yet to book their September school holiday getaway, Wotif has shared tips and insights below to help nab the best deal. 

Last minute September school holiday booking tips and hacks: 

Domestic booking tips, based on flights and accommodation data over the school holiday period.  

• Best day to fly domestically to beat the crowds⁵: Tuesday. 

• Least busy day for booking domestic accommodation⁶: Tuesday. It is 43% less busy than travelling on a Friday. 

• Cheapest day to travel domestically⁷: Monday. Travellers can save up to 13% compared to booking accommodation on Saturday. 

• Best value domestic destinations to stay in for under $200 a night⁸: Travellers can find affordable accommodation in destinations like Launceston, Cairns, and Darwin. 

International booking tips, based on flights 

• Best day to fly internationally to beat the crowds⁹: Wednesday.  

• Cheapest day to fly internationally¹⁰: Friday. Travellers can save up to 11% on ticket prices compared to those that departed on Saturday. 

• Best value overseas flight destinations for under $1,000¹¹: Travellers can find affordable flights to destinations like Auckland, New Zealand, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

Other tips for booking on the Expedia app include: 

• MEMBER SAVINGS: Expedia members earn Rewards points for eligible bookings to save on the next trip and save an average of 15% on thousands of hotels.  

• DOUBLE DIP: Earn frequent flyers on top of Expedia points by entering your Frequent Flyer details at checkout, an easy way to double-dip and rack up travel rewards even faster.   

• BUNDLE UP: Bundle your flight and hotel bookings on Expedia or Wotif and potentially knock off nearly $250 on average off the trip.  

• EXPEDIA’S IN-APP CHAT: To make planning easier, start an open-ended conversation with Expedia’s in-app chat feature powered by ChatGPT and get recommendations on places to go, where to stay, how to get around, and what to see and do. 

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About the Spring Travel Outlook 

¹ Based off search data for domestic accommodation on Expedia Group between 1 January 2024 and 31 July 2024, excluding state capital cities 

² Based off search data for international flights on Expedia Group between 1 January 2024 and 31 July 2024 

³ Based off search data for domestic flights on Expedia Group comparing 1 January 2023 to 11 August 2023 and 1 January 2024 to 31 July 2024 

⁴ Based off search data for international flights on Expedia Group comparing 1 January 2023 to 11 August 2023 and 1 January 2024 to 31 July 2024 

⁵ Based on ticket volume for domestic flights booked on Expedia Group for travel between 16 September 2023 and 15 October 2023 

⁶ Based on accommodation volume for domestic booked on Expedia Group for travel between 16 September 2023 and 15 October 2023 

⁷ Based on average daily rates for domestic accommodation booked on Expedia Group for travel between 16 September 2023 and 15 October 2023 

⁸ Based on average ticket price for domestic accommodation booked on Expedia Group for travel between 16 September 2023 and 15 October 2023 

⁹ Based on ticket volume for international flights booked on Expedia Group for travel between 16 September 2023 and 15 October 2023 

¹⁰ Based on average ticket prices for international flights booked on Expedia Group between 16 September 2023 and 15 October 2023 

¹¹Based on average ticket price international flights booked on Expedia Group for travel between 16 September 2023 and 15 October 2023 

About Expedia Brands 

Everyday travellers worldwide choose Expedia Brands to plan their next trip with access to member-only prices on hotels, holiday homes, flights, cruises, car rentals and activities. Together our leading brands – Expedia, Wotif, Stayz – connect more travellers to the places and people they love around the world.   

  

Expedia® is one of the world’s largest full-service travel sites, helping millions of members per month save on the widest selection of airfare, accommodation deals, car rentals and activities. 

Wotif® helps Aussie travellers explore their own backyard and beyond, providing access to great value deals across accommodation, flights, packages, activities and car hire.    

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