Insights from the 2018 Australian Tourism Exchange. Key themes include: 1 The search for authenticity 2 Soft adventure 3 Luxe for less 4 Travel for one 5 Sustainable travel Get in touch with us if you have any questions by calling +61 3 8520 6444.

1. Travel trends
shaping Australia
Insights from the 2018 Australian Tourism Exchange

2. Themes
The search for authenticity
Soft adventure
Luxe for less
Travel for one
Sustainable travel
1
2
3
4
5
Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland / Khy Orchard

3. 1The search
for
authenticity
There is a yearning for
individualism, instead of one-size-
fits-all experiences. To meet this
demand, major hotel groups are
offering add-on activities such as
street tours and cooking classes,
while small-group tours are
supplanting group package trips.
Credit: helifish.com.au

4. 1The search
for
authenticity
Tourism Australia has partnered
with industry to create the
Signature Experiences of
Australia – encompassing a
few hundred bookable niche
experiences. Regional hubs,
especially food bowls, wine
regions and areas near rich marine
habitats, are benefitting from this
interest and attracting government
funding.
http://www.tourism.australia.com/en/about/our-
programs/signature-experiences-of-australia.html

5. 2
Soft
adventure
Soft adventure operators are making ‘active’ holidays more
accessible. Even the most pampered individuals can embark
on a multi-day hike or mountain biking excursion because all
equipment, training and guidance is provided – and there is the
promise of luxury at the end of the day.
Credit: World Expeditions / Great Walks of Australia

6. Luxe
for less
First there was glamping, and
now there’s ‘flashpacking’ or
‘glampacking’ – backpacker meets
glam – for those who want to save
on costs without sacrificing in
experience.
Millennials are helping to drive this
segment. Economic insecurity is
leading many of them to put their
money towards travel, instead of
long-term savings. In Australia, this
is a lucrative niche.
Credit: Tourism Australia / John White

7. The youth market represents
of visitor numbers
25 per cent
46 per cent
but contributes
of all spend.
http://www.tourism.australia.com/en/news-and-industry-tools/
latest-news/Australia-in-the-news-with-its-latest-youth-campaign.html
Luxe
for less

8. Travel
for onePeople are hitting the road solo in record numbers. Across the
four billion travel ideas pinned last year, Pinterest found a
593 per cent
increase
in posts about solo adventures
4Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission
https://newsroom.pinterest.com/en/post/travel-report-2018

9. Travel
for one
4This has correlated with an increase in more solo women
travellers. High-profile female influencers are inspiring women
to leave partners/kids/friends behind to make travel decisions
for themselves.
Solo parents are also a growing traveller segment. Intrepid has
recognised this largely untapped market and started offering
solo parent trips.
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/theme/family/single-parent

10. Eco tours are one of the most
prevalent responses to an increase
in demand for sustainable travel.
Tourism Australia reports that
Sustainable
travel
69 per cent
of international visitors in 2017
engaged in some form of nature-
based activities.
Credit: James Fisher / Tourism Australia
http://www.tourism.australia.com/en/markets-and-
research/industry-sectors/nature-and-wildlife.html

11. Sustainable
travel
On the flipside, the tide is turning
on exploitative animal experiences,
with travel heavyweights such as
TripAdvisor and Instagram taking a
public stance. And ‘voluntourism’
is facing scrutiny, with tour
companies including Intrepid,
World Challenge and Flight Centre
throwing their support behind
Australia’s ReThink Orphanages.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/blog/
animal-welfare-education-portal/
http://www.rethinkorphanages.org/
https://help.instagram.com/859615207549041

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