STUDY: 80 per cent of Aussies say road trips reign supreme

Lorne, Australia - January 3, 2018: A Volkswagen Kombi (or Transporter) van driving down Great Ocean Road, with Lorne Beach in the background.
By Alexandra Coulton


It looks like Aussies are packing their swags and getting their playlists ready, with new research showing 80 per cent of us are planning a road trip this year.

During a media roundtable event last week, Choice Hotels Asia-Pac unveiled its Trans-Tasman Research Report that provides key insights into how, when and why Australians are travelling this year.

The report, which was produced by Stable Research in April, shows that travellers are not going to let international border closures stop them from going on holiday, even if it is a small one.

Ninety-one per cent of a group of 1,500 survey responders across Australia and New Zealand said they are planning a long weekend getaway this year.

Young couples, in particular, are itching to travel within their own state compared to other demographics, planning 3.13 long weekends this year.

Of the respondents, 80 per cent of Australians said they were planning a road trip, which jumps to 84 per cent for those planning a family getaway.

Seventy-one per cent of the Australian respondents said they were opting for intra-state travel and road trips that take four hours or less.

Mental health and a change of scenery were the most popular reasons why respondents want to go on a holiday this year, with 64 per cent choosing this answer.

In particular, 80 per cent of Victorians indicated mental health as the main influence for travel planning.

Comparatively, New Zealanders have a greater focus on holidaying to reunite with their friends and relatives at 57 per cent, following a year of disrupted family get-togethers.

Trent Fraser, CEO of Choice Hotels Asia-Pac said: “Despite 2020 being an incredibly challenging year, particularly for the accommodation sector, we’re firmly focused on the recovery and welcoming guests who are so eager to travel.

“The resilience of our franchisees and the way they have adapted to the challenges they’ve faced with creative solutions has been incredibly inspiring.

“They should feel confident and optimistic knowing that long weekends and road travel are leading the holiday style in 2021, which should propel healthy and consistent bookings all year.”

Featured image source: iStock/kokkai

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