Cairns is the new Bali, research suggests, as COVID changes Australians’ travel habits

Australians have a new top travel destination, with a Queensland tourist hotspot overtaking Bali, as the COVID-19 pandemic forces more of us to holiday closer to home.

Cairns is the new Bali in the COVID pandemic, with Australians hunting down the best deals to the tropical far north Queensland city like never before.

The tropical north Queensland city of Cairns has knocked off Bali as Australians’ top holiday destination in 2021, as travellers adjust to life in the COVID crisis.

Research by online travel marketplace Skyscanner also found holidays have become shorter and cheaper in the pandemic, with the average airfare costing 35 per cent less than in pre-COVID times.

In addition, the average trip duration is 16 days, down from 21 days in 2019, due to the shorter distances travelled.

After Cairns, Darwin ranks most highly for group travel in the period from June to October this year, followed by the Gold Coast, the Whitsundays and Townsville.

Cairns also tops the list of holiday spots for families and couples in autumn and winter 2021, replacing less accessible destinations such as Phuket, Rome and Milan.

The research shows that although travellers are paying less for airfares due to lower prices and the shift to domestic travel, they are not as inclined to chose the cheapest option available.

Instead, people are forking out a bit more for a flexible fare, direct route or preferred airline.

Skyscanner head of Asia Pacific Paul Whiteway said enticing deals for domestic travel had very much helped to unlock demand.

“Australia is a nation of travel lovers and while restriction-free international travel is off the cards for Australians for the time being, our travel data reveals domestic travel is booming,” Mr Whiteway said.

“Our research shows there is pent-up wanderlust with 37 per cent of those surveyed citing ‘culture and experiencing new things to do on holiday’ is impacting their destination preferences.

“This desire to get out and explore has led Aussies to re-imagine their bucket list travels for the time being and reconsider the incredible destinations closer to home.”

There was no shortage of interest in international travel post-October however, with Qantas nominating October 31 as the date it expects to resume long-haul flights.

The Skyscanner data reveals London as the most searched for overseas destination, followed by Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore and Auckland.

Despite being one of the most popular travel destinations pre-COVID, Los Angeles has slipped out of the top five, the data shows.

Uncertainty surrounding the reopening of borders continues to dog the travel industry with operators repositioning to focus on domestic experiences.

National Travel CEO David Sumich said it was not hard to believe borders could remain closed for another 12 months, which made the delivery of bespoke Australian experiences all the more important.

“There is an element of (travellers) moving to experiences in the place of ‘flop and drop’ holidays which is going to a hotel, staying three nights and that’s about it,” Mr Sumich told The Australian.

“We said we have to do this, it’s great for the client and from a commercial sustainability perspective. That’s where the industry needs to get to.”

Originally published as Cairns is the new Bali, research suggests, as COVID changes Australians’ travel habits