Aussie intention is down

THE number of Aussies who would like to take a holiday in the next year is down by 5% from 2001/2, according to Roy Morgan.

Only 78.6% of Aussies aged 14+ are looking for a holiday in the next 12 months.

On the rise is the popularity of an international vacation, up 7.5% to 49.5%, with 72% of Australians pining for a domestic holiday, down 9.1%.

The top five preferred domestic destinations are Melbourne and Sydney, followed by spots such as the Great Ocean Road, Hobart and the Blue Mountains.

New Zealand leads the way overseas, followed by the US, the UK, Japan and Canada.

The Land of the Rising Sun has been rising for an extended period of time, with only 2.5% of Aussies reporting they wanted to visit back in 2004, compared with 5.5% today.

In 2014, the country overtook Thailand as the most popular Asian destination, having increased by 7.3% since 2001.

“Traditional Asian holiday destinations such as Bali (mentioned by 5.3% of Aussies) and Thailand (4.6%) are still relatively popular, and are mentioned by a higher proportion of Aussies than in 2001, but both have fallen significantly behind Japan in the last five years,” said Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levin.

“The good news for travel agents and those looking to cash in on the increasing popularity of Japan as a destination is that it attracts a high earning and spending demographic comprised primarily of young Australians under 35 years of age.

Over half of Aussies wanting to travel to Japan (54%) are in the two highest socio-economic quintiles.