Dreaming of LA but booking Bali: cost is king for Easter travel

We’re dreaming of LA and Singapore but booking Bali and Auckland for overseas trips over Easter.

Aussies seeking an overseas Easter getaway are dreaming about Singapore, Fiji and Los Angeles but booking Bali, Auckland and Christchurch.

Data provided by Webjet showed an incredible one in six international flights booked through the site for travel in late March to April 25 were for Bali and one in eight for Auckland.

Despite being among the most searched destinations by Australians for the Easter holiday period, Singapore, Fiji and Los Angeles failed to crack the top 10 most booked places.

Cost was considered the key factor, with Bali holidays considered to offer better value for money, aided by lively competition among airlines and the strength of the Australian dollar against the Indonesian rupiah.

Webjet OTA chief executive David Galt said the travel booking site had experienced a “notable 43 per cent surge in bookings for Bali” in the Easter holiday period.

“This overall positive trend is only expected to gain momentum as airlines continue to expand their capacity throughout 2024,” Mr Galt said.

One in six international flights booked on Webjet for March 28 to April 25 is for Bali. Picture: iStock

Australian Travel Industry Association chief executive Dean Long said when planning an overseas trip, people often sought out aspirational destinations first, and then worked through to destinations that fit within their budget.

“That’s something we’re seeing across the industry in general where people will still travel and spend the money they have allocated,” Mr Long said.

“It’s a decision they’ve made but they’re moving through destinations from what they aspire to, to what they can afford and sometimes there’s just not that alignment.”

The strong visiting friends and relatives’ market was driving the popularity of New Zealand destinations over Easter, along with London which ranked as the fifth most booked.

Mr Long said Easter was a time when families tended to get together, which was “good for New Zealand after it fell behind Bali last year as Australians’ top overseas holiday spot”.

“It’s actually a positive sign for New Zealand that there’s still a lot of love between Australia and that country,” he said.

On the domestic front, travellers were much more likely to book the destination for which they searched, with Melbourne coming in at number one ahead of Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Mr Long said that was because of the different approach to domestic holidays as opposed to international.

“For a domestic holiday, people have already made the decision of where they’re going when they starting looking for flights,” he said.

“They’ve made a conscious decision to select that destination and then it’s just a matter of finding the product and experience that fits within that value point.”

Capital cities dominated the top 10 most-booked list, pushing the Gold Coast and Cairns into fifth and sixth spot.

Melbourne is proving popular for Easter holidaymakers, with Webjet recording more bookings for the city than any other Australian or overseas destination. Picture: Sarah Nicholson

The popularity of the cities over more typical leisure destinations was attributed to some clever marketing, and a post-pandemic “rediscovery” of state capitals.

“There’s a bit of a reconnect there, and refinding love with these cities,” Mr Long said.

“I think another big factor is the cities are doing an amazing job of creating cultural events and experiences that are drawing people from other destinations.”

Overall, domestic travel was much preferred over international for the Easter period, with almost 80 per cent of flights booked on Webjet for Australian cities and towns.

Of the remaining 21 per cent, New Zealand destinations including Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington accounted for a quarter of all overseas flight bookings.

The Webjet data came as international airline activity for December was published by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, showing Qantas remained the biggest carrier of travellers in and out of Australia with a 16.2 per cent market share.

Jetstar was second on 10.2 per cent and Singapore Airlines was third (9.2 per cent), with Air New Zealand (6.9 per cent) and Emirates (5.8 per cent) rounding out the top five.

Virgin Australia was eighth on 3.2 per cent, after ranking as high as fifth pre-pandemic when the airline still flew widebody aircraft capable of long haul flights to the US.

Originally published as Dreaming of LA but booking Bali: cost is king for Easter travel