Aussies busting to travel

CLOSE to 70% of Australians are intending to book a domestic or international holiday (or both) once the country’s borders are fully reopened, according to new figures released by Canstar.

The survey of 1,094 Australians showed that 7% indicated they would be making a booking internationally and 10% domestically, the moment border restriction are lifted, while 11% and 16% respectively said they plan on taking a holiday within the next six months.

“Australians have endured over 18 months of fluctuating domestic and international border restrictions, and many have been forced to put their travel plans on hold or cancel them altogether during this time,” Canstar’s finance expert Steve Mickenbecker said.

“With restrictions set to lift once 70-80% of the population is vaccinated, millions of Australians have itchy feet and are counting down the days until they can head-off on a long-awaited holiday or reunite with loved ones,” he added.

But it was not all good news, with close to one third of respondents suggesting they have no intention to travel at all.

Close to a quarter (26%) cited not being able to afford a trip as the reason, while 16% stated they don’t have an interest in travel, and 14% said a fear of catching COVID-19 while travelling accounted for their reticence.

Other reasons to defer travel included financial priorities (13%) and the potential for future border closures (13%).

In terms of travel insurance providers, Canstar’s database showed that of the 45 providers listed, 28 do not currently provide any travel cover for COVID-19 related claims - see more details on COVID insurance HERE.