The tiny Australian towns riding a post-lockdown tourist wave
The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated tourism in many regions ... but smaller towns are seeing significant increases in demand.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated travel for many regions, the push towards local trips has increased tenfold as Australians prepare for spring getaways. The resulting towns and regional areas are experiencing massive booms driven by the demand for short stays or quick getaways within driving distance of big cities.
In a report put together by Tourism Research Australia, domestic tourism might just be the saving grace for the industry, with figures showing the value of domestic tourists — especially for short trips and seasonal stays.
“In coming months a resurgent daytrip market is likely, with people already taking more short, spontaneous journeys as restrictions on gatherings gradually ease,” the report notes, highlighting that in 2019, domestic overnight stays totalled $81 billion spent by locals. That number balloons to over $100 billion when day trippers are added. In 2020, the report suggests it’s possible some of the $71 billion spent in normal times by Australians overseas could instead be injected into the local economy, however the numbers are unclear at this stage.
However, there is growing evidence that this prediction is coming true. In states without heavy lockdowns, like Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, holidayers are taking advantage of regional locations and exploring their home states en masse.
Data gathered from Airbnb shows huge increases in demand for local getaways, with a focus on smaller towns. Numbers shared with The Australian show significant increases for bookings made between September 1 and October 31 as Australians outside of Victoria look to explore their home country.
Among the most popular destinations include the Western Australian seaside town of Vasse (up 170% from last year), the beach escape of Currarong on the NSW south coast (up 160% from last year) and Marion Bay in South Australia (up 150% from last year).
All three are just a few hours drive from major cities, and prove ideal spots to enjoy the spring weather. A look at the booking pages of popular hotel chains in similar beachside regions show scores of full weekends in the lead up to summer.
“It’s been really heartening to see Australians display such incredible enthusiasm for exploring their own backyard,” Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s country manager for New Zealand and Australia tells The Australian. “What we’re also seeing is a trend towards longer term stays, as the notion of working from home becomes working from any home on Airbnb.”
Other locations which have seen significant Airbnb booking growth include Kalbarri in WA (up 150% from last year), Fitzroy Falls in NSW (up 140% from last year) and Seventeen Seventy in QLD (up 140% from last year). Local reports from Byron Bay also note an upwards trend of tourists and digital nomads alike heading north to holiday and work remotely.
Losses from international tourists will still be felt in 2020, especially in regions which rely heavily on overseas visitors. As noted by Tourism Research Australia, domestic travel by locals “is expected to only prop up the domestic market rather than enlarge it.”
