Europe is a hot spot for Aussie solo travellers in 2019 according to hostel-booking platform, Hostelworld.
Based on 2018 booking data, ten European countries feature in the 19 Top Travel Spots for Aussies in 2019. However, domestic travel in Australia increased 16 percent during the same period, indicating Aussies are also searching for adventure on their doorsteps.
19 Top Travel Spots for Aussies in 2019, based on volume of bookings in 2018:
1. Italy
2. Spain
3. Australia
4. England
5. USA
6. Germany
7. Croatia
8. Greece
9. Portugal
10. Japan
11. France
12. Netherlands
13. Vietnam
14. Mexico
15. Thailand
16. Scotland
17. Canada
18. Colombia
19. Ireland
While international countries dominated the list, Australia did rank in third, proving Aussies want more of the wonders of home.
Australians are increasingly exploring their own country. Australia has jumped from fifth to third place in the list of destinations for Aussies, with the highest increase in volume of bookings between 2017 and 2018. Australia also remains a firm favourite for global tourists, moving up from sixth to fifth place in the global top travel spot rankings.
Looking at year-on-year booking in cities, the growing trend in domestic travel is obvious, with Melbourne (+21%), Byron Bay (+19%) and Sydney (+13%) being respectively the second, third and fifth highest growing cities, while Istanbul (+62%) leads the pack in first place, and Porto (+16%) takes the fourth spot.
“We love that Aussies are showing such a growing interest in exploring their own country, a trend we expect to continue into 2019. Australia offers gorgeous landscapes, plenty of opportunities for adventure and comfortable, world-renowned hostels,” commented Catriona Flood, Director of Strategy and Planning at Hostelworld.
Off the beaten track
Globally, bookings reflect a growing desire to explore places off the beaten track. Destinations offering unique cultural experiences such as Turkey, Sri Lanka, India and Morocco are attracting more and more bookings from Australians.
Established travel destinations such as Indonesia, Mexico and Japan also remain popular and show continued growth in bookings. The 2018 World Cup proved there is never a destination too far for Aussies when it comes to watching live sport, with Socceroos’ supporters swarming Russian hostels during the competition, resulting in a 134% year-on-year increase in total bookings.
Again, European capital cities remain the most popular for Australians in terms of volume of bookings, with 15 of them in the top 19. The only non-European cities in the list are Tokyo (11th), Melbourne (12th), Sydney (17th) and Los Angeles (19th).
“Technology has evolved to make it easier for people to explore the world. Now, people can plan, book and manage trips in a few clicks, meaning their next big adventure can be a matter of minutes away from becoming a reality. A recent study Hostelworld conducted showed Aussies feel travelling plays an important role in developing life skills and personality. This is something I experienced myself and I encourage everyone to explore every inch of our amazing planet”, added Catriona Flood.
