Australia
With the July school holidays fast approaching, Expedia Brands (Expedia and Wotif) have released its Winter Travel Outlook, which uncovers trending destinations and last minute money and time saving tips for Aussies planning a family getaway.
As the temperature drops, Aussies are prioritising warm weather, with Queensland taking out the majority of the top ten most popular destinations in Australia. Internationally the European and UK summer continues to lure Aussies, with London the most number one destination and Athens, Rome and Paris trending in the top ten.
For those yet to book their school holiday travel, the Winter Travel Outlook uncovers helpful insights and tips to ensure families are getting the most value out of their trip, including:
Domestic school holiday booking tips, based on accommodation data:
- Best day to travel domestically to beat the crowds: Tuesday. It is generally less busy than travelling on a Friday*.
- Cheapest day to travel domestically: Monday. Travellers saved up to 30% on domestic accommodation** compared to booking on a Friday.
International booking tips, based on flight data:
- Best day to travel internationally to beat the crowds: Wednesday. It’s 45% less busy than flying out on Saturday****.
- Cheapest day to travel internationally: Monday. Travellers saved around 10% on ticket prices compared to those that departed on Friday***.
Sarah King, Expedia Travel Expert, says, “The good news is it’s not too late for savvy travellers to book a last-minute school holiday trip. However, if you want a chance of getting the best value deal, flexibility is key, and working around the busiest travel days can offer cost and time savings.”
“Another tip is to consider destinations beyond the usual hot spots, with Wotif data showing that local getaways like Bendigo, Orange and Toowoomba offer particularly good value this July school holiday period. A road trip to a regional Australian town is a great way to have a holiday which doesn’t break the budget and often offers unmatched local hospitality, cuisine and family friendly experiences”.
For those planning a last-minute international holiday, bundling flights and hotels on the Expedia app can save travellers nearly $250 on average off the trip. Start an open-ended conversation with Expedia’s in-app chat feature powered by ChatGPT to make travel planning easier and get recommendations on places to go, where to stay, how to get around, and what to see and do.
The most popular winter school holiday destinations:
| Most popular domestic destinations Aussies want to travel to over winter school holidays on Wotif (excluding capital cities)[1] | Most popular overseas destinations Aussies want to travel to over winter school holidays on Expedia[2] |
| 1. Gold Coast, QLD 2. Sunshine Coast, QLD 3. Cairns, QLD 4. Port Douglas, QLD 5. The Whitsundays, QLD 6. Bright, VIC 7. Yeppoon, QLD 8. Byron Bay, NSW 9. Coffs Harbour, NSW 10. Newcastle, NSW | 1. London, UK 2. Denpasar (Bali), Indonesia 3. Athens, Greece 4. Los Angeles, USA 5. Rome, Italy 6. Tokyo, Japan 7. Singapore 8. Bangkok, Thailand 9. Paris, France 10. Phuket, Thailand |
Domestic winter school holiday destinations predicted under $200 a night
| Best value destinations for Aussies to stay in accommodation on Wotif predicted to be under $200 on average a day[3] |
| 1. Tamworth, NSW – $135 2. St Kilda, VIC – $143 3. Bathurst, NSW – $147 4. Launceston, TAS – $149 5. Echuca, VIC – $151 6. Toowoomba, QLD – $154 7. Orange, NSW – $169 8. Bendigo, VIC – $187 9. Torquay, VIC – $194 10. Nelson Bay, NSW – $195 |
