Can you guess where Aussies will travel this year?

Front view of a child hand holding a damaged toy globe, shallow depth of field
By Hannah Edensor


Booking.com has revealed Australia’s top booked destinations both domestically and internationally in 2017, so roll on up and see how your bookings compare.

Based on international bookings from Australian travellers, Asian locations feature in six of the top 10 booked destinations, with Singapore holding the number one spot as many flock to the city for its culture and shopping, as well as the pure fact it’s a pretty common gateway to Europe.

Victoria and South Australia are the only states where their most popular international destination of choice falls outside Asia-Pacific, with London being each state’s most popular top booked destination.

England’s capital also ranks as the second most popular international destination for Aussies overall.

And if you can believe it, Bali has stayed a popular choice for Aussie holidaymakers, picking up two spots in the international top ten list.

Given its proximity, it proved most popular with Western Australians and Northern Territory residents.

Meanwhile, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmanian travellers are particularly in favour of visiting their Antipodean neighbours in New Zealand with Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown all featuring amongst their states’ ten most popular choices for international travel.

This is an interesting mix given our recent travel agent survey, in which we asked for the most popular destinations on the horizon for 2018. While Asia, NZ and the UK proved popular in 2017 for Aussies, agents said this year it’s all about North America, Western Europe, the UK, then South America and Eastern Europe.

Indonesia – AKA Bali, let’s be honest – was one of the least voted destinations, alongside NZ and domestic travel. What a diverse bunch of travellers Aussies are!

Related:Austria, Iceland, Mongolia: Flight Centre predicts 2018’s hotspots

For domestic travel, Queenslanders prefer to explore their own backyards more than any other state, with eight out of their top 10 domestic travel choices staying within their own state.

On the other hand, South Australians can’t get away fast enough, deserting their state more than any other. Just two South Australian locations ranked in the top 10 most booked domestic destinations by the state’s travellers.

Luke Wilson, Booking.com Area Manager for Australia said, “2017 was another big year for travel for Australians both in and outside the country.

“Asia’s diverse tourism options represent increasingly attractive propositions for international travellers while London remains the top European destination for many, which may continue in 2018, especially with the first direct flight routes from Perth slated to start later this year.

“Aussies are also exploring more of what is on their doorstep and the rise of holiday rental properties has made it easier and more convenient for them to enjoy a weekend staycation or short road trips away.

“Recent research has also revealed Brisbane as an emerging travel destination in 2018, so we look forward to seeing the impact this has in bookings this year.”

Top 10 Most Booked Domestic Destinations in AustraliaTop 10 Most Booked International Destinations in Australia
1.        Sydney, New South Wales
2.        Melbourne, Victoria
3.        Brisbane, Queensland
4.        Gold Coast, Queensland
5.        Perth, Western Australia
6.        Adelaide, South Australia
7.        Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
8.        Cairns, Queensland
9.        Hobart, Tasmania
10.        Newcastle, New South Wales		1.        Singapore, Singapore
2.        London, United Kingdom
3.        Auckland, New Zealand
4.        Tokyo, Japan
5.        Bangkok, Thailand
6.        Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
7.        Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia
8.        Rome, Italy
9.        Hong Kong, Hong Kong
10.        Paris, France  

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