Australia outbound travel trends

Outbound Travel Trends
December 2015
Country Report

Australia - Outbound Travel Trends

DidYou Know?
• Australia ranks 7th out of 141 countries in Global Travel
and Tourism Competitiveness. (WEF Report,2015)
• Australia is the 9th largest spender on travel abroad
(UNWTO,2014).
• Though a greater majority of Australians holiday
within the country, the trend for outbound travel is well
entrenched.
• As a nation of immigrants, Australians usually have
friends and relatives scattered around the world and
their travel plans often involve them.

Current Scenario

8% Growth In Outbound Traffic
• Increased outbound travel was driven by VFR visitors
(up 14.7 per cent to 1.9 million visitors) and holiday
visitors (up 6.2 per cent to 4.5 million visitors).
• Marginal increase in business trips (up 0.8 per cent).
• Decrease in average length of trip resulted in outbound
business visitor expenditure falling by 10.7 per cent to
$6.6 billion.
* 2014 figures

Propensity Increased To
42 Trips
Propensity for
outbound travel
increased to 42 trips
per 100 people in
in the year ending
March 2014; up
from 26 trips in the
year ending March
2006.

All Segments Travel
• Touring youths - young people touring the world
on minimal budgets.
• DINKS - double income no kids.
• SINKS - single income no kids.
• Families - prefer South-east Asia, Pacific Islands…
• Retirees and empty- nesters - over 55s , in search
of distant relatives ,cultural heritage or new
experiences.

Slight Decline In Travel By 35-64 Group
Age of short-
term outbound
travellers
2007 2012
000s % 000s %
0-4 years 170 3.1 303 3.7
5-14 years 362 6.6 561 6.8
15-24 years 589 10.8 938 11.4
25-34 years 951 17.4 1,516 18.4
35-44 years 1,038 19.0 1,428 17.4
45-54 years 1,110 20.3 1,534 18.7
55-64 years 834 15.3 1,234 15.0
65-74 years 315 5.8 564 6.9
75+ 94 1.7 143 1.7
Total 5,462 100.0 8,220 100.00
Short-term refers to the intention to stay abroad for less than 12 months.

Increase In Travel By Older Segments
Under 16 6%
16-24 17%
25-34 29%
35-44 4%
45-54 13%
55+ 31%
Under 18 years 7%
18-34 years 23%
35-54 years 22%
55+ years 47%
Ireland, 2012 Canada,2011
• The age at which people were most likely to go overseas for holiday
shows two peaks - the first around age 26 years for women and 29
years for men, then a longer peak of around 49-60 years for women and
late 50s and early 60s for men.
• However, UK receives holiday visitors from all age bands. Destinations
like India receive more of Australian holiday visitors in the 25-34 and
35-44 age groups. .

Heavily Influenced By Online Sources
• Though recommendation from past visitors, family and
friends are important, Australians depend heavily on online
sources for information.
• For USA: travel agency office, online travel agency, airline
websites and personal recommendation are the top sources
of information.
• For UK : friends, relatives or colleagues influence
destination choice the most followed by special offers, hotel
websites and traveller review sites.
• For Singapore: internet is the top source of information
before travel for the Australians.Travel agents come next
followed by recommendations from past visitors, travel
guides and recommendation from friends or family.
• For Canada: past visitors and a mix of traditional media, the
travel trade and online sources.

NSW, Leading Source Market
34%
25%
17%
15%
5%
2%
1%
1%
Percentage Share*
New South Wales (NSW)
Victoria
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
The Federal Capital
Tasmania
Northern Territory
* 2012 statistics

Asia, Main Outbound Region
Europe, Oceania and the Americas have lost ground to Asia in the
recent years for outbound travel from Australia.
46%
21%
15%
13%
3% 2%
Percentage Share*
Asia
Oceania
Europe
Americas
North Africa &
Middle East
Sub-saharan Africa
* 2012 statistics

Asia, Europe For
Multi-Destination Trips
Single destination trips usually to
New Zealand, the Pacific
Islands, North America.
Asia and Europe leads in multi-
destination trips.

Holiday, Prime Purpose
Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) is the main
reason for Australians travelling to UK, Continental
Europe and North America .

September, Peak For
Holidaying
• September is peak for holiday travel and December for VFR.
• Short term outbound travel peaks in June, September and December.
• January, February and March are usually slack.
• However countries like India receive maximum visitors in the first (Jan-Mar) and
fourth quarter (Oct-Dec).
• Ireland receives highest number of Australian visitors from Oct-Dec followed by
Jun-Jul.

Booking, 3-6 Months Prior To Travel
• To Canada
Over 50% of recent visitors booked their holiday
within three months of travelling; 18% booked more
than six months prior to travel.
• To UK
Half of all holidays to Britain booked more than 6
months before departure with a further 29% between
3 and 6 months.
• To Singapore
1 in 3 respondents of a survey by the tourism
board, book 4- 6months ahead of the trip.

Singapore,Top Destination
Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Fiji and Singapore are expected to be the top five
fastest growing (main) destinations to be visited by Australian residents in
2015.

Longest Holiday In Europe
Holidays abroad are usually long as most trips are long haul. Average length of all
outbound trips was 20 nights.
Europe *
36 nights
Middle East/Africa
34 nights
Americas
26 nights
Asia
16 nights
Oceania
10 nights
*Average length of stay, 2012

High Average Spend
• Ninth largest spender on travel abroad (UNWTO)
• Overall spending per trip between A$ 3,200 and A$3,800 over the last
five years.
• High average spend due to Australia's status as one of the world's more
affluent countries and to its remoteness from many important
destinations which leads to long-haul travel and more spend.

FITs On The Rise
• Australians have a reputation for being confident and
active travellers with strong compatriot support networks
in many destinations.
• FITs(Free Independent Traveller) predominate especially
to European destinations.
• Small group tours are also becoming popular.
• For Canada, nearly 60% of recent visitors travelled
independently, while 18% opted to take fully escorted or
guided tours.
• Half of holiday visits to US were with a Spouse/Partner ;
about one in five are by lone travellers.

Culture & Heritage, Nature, Sports
Preferred
• Australians love heritage, culture, landmarks, places
of natural beauty, beaches...
• Addicted to sports and love to watch sporting events
or participate in sports while on holiday.
• Shopping is preferred in some destinations.
• Youth prefer social experiences, new friends and city
cultures.
• Senior Citizens prefer cultural experiences, heritage
sites, outdoor sports.

Preferred Activities, Destination-wise
• UK
Trip to museums, art galleries and built heritage sites, theatre, walk in
the countryside...
• Ireland
Golf, hiking and cross country walking.
• US
Shopping, national parks and monuments, sightseeing, guided
tours, historical locations. Preference for sporting events and visiting
theme parks are on the rise.
• Singapore
Shopping, local tours, visit to well-known landmarks,VFR, cultural and
historical attractions.
• Canada
Culture, history, visiting main attractions and places of natural beauty.

What‟s Trending?

SEA Most Popular
• South East Asia(SEA) remained on top of the most
popular places for Australians to travel to in 2015 (20
per cent) followed by Europe (18 per cent), New
Zealand (16 per cent) and America (15 per cent).
• Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Fiji and Singapore to be
the top five fastest growing destinations to be visited
by Australian residents in 2014-15.

Multi-gen Travel, Experiences &
Personalisation Holds The Key
• Multi-generational travel:
The new family holiday includes multiple generations travelling together.
Experiences feature activities that are suitable for grandparents and toddlers, as
well as entertaining for teenagers and parents. Cruising is a prime example of a
travel trend that caters to this market.
• Meet the maker:
Workshops with hotel representatives, such as hotel florist, tour by the art buyer
and/or architect or interior designer. …Consumers are increasingly interested in
the quality and vision behind experiences and places.
• Personalised Amenities:
An increasing trend is exclusive and quirky hotel amenities that reflect the
brand‟s personality. - bespoke shower products, quirky quotes on hotel
pillows, stress balls, cupcakes with names ...
• All-inclusive:
Increasingly popular in tropical destinations such as the Maldives, or on
cruises,Travellers love to leave their wallet at home for all-inclusive stays that
include dining, spa, activities and alcohol.

Social Media,YouTube Leads
• YouTube remains the highest growing social media platform
followed by Facebook.
• Video is a new trending tool to provide insights on experiences
and travel. Over 50% of Australians on Facebook watch video on
the platform daily.
• SnapChat is another element of this video expansion, as more
brands are sponsoring the app, live broadcasting global events
and featured destinations to millions of consumers.
• Australian bloggers still remain leaders in the travel market, with
the number of influential bloggers and digital personalities
increasing month-on-month.

Outbound Grinding To A Halt?
• Deloitte's Tourism and Hotel Market Outlook MidYear Update
2015 indicates that the weaker Aussie dollar is having a major
impact on travel patterns with outbound growth by Australian
travellers "grinding to a halt" while domestic holidays grow in
popularity.
• After growing at an average rate of 11% a year for the last
decade, outbound holiday travel came to a grinding halt, falling
0.2% over the year to June.
• The growth in trips is slowing and Australians are opting for
cheaper destinations, staying for shorter periods and spending
less.

Forecast – Medium Term

Modest Growth Of 3.2-3.4 Percent
• After strong increases in most years from the mid-
2000s, Australian resident outbound departures
slowed considerably in 2014-15.
• Modest growth is forecast to continue in the
coming two years, with outbound departures
expected to grow by 3.2 per cent to 9.5 million in
2015-16, and 3.4 per cent to 9.9 million in 2016-17.

Other Asia, Indonesia, NZ – Main
Destinations
While a downward revision has occurred for some long-haul destinations such as the
UK and Other Europe for 2015–16 and 2016–17,forecasts for short-haul destinations
including New Zealand, Fiji,Thailand and Other Asia are higher.
Departure Growth By Main Destinations, 2015-16 & 2016-17

Forecast – Long Term

Departures Revised Down
• Departures growth per annum is revised down.
• This can be attributed to the weaker assumptions for Australian GDP
growth and the lower value of the AUD which is likely to have a
dampening effect on Australian residents‟ overseas travel.

The Country – A Snapshot

Interesting Facts
• 6th largest country in the world.
• 3rd largest ocean territory in the world.
• 19 world heritage listed sites.
• If Australia were a city, at 23.5 million it would still only be the
world's seventh largest (after Tokyo, Guangzhou, Shanghai,
Jakarta, Seoul and Delhi).
• World's highest proportion of migrant settlers in a developed
nation.
• Australia is currently growing by 1 million every 2 years - that's
an additional Adelaide every 2.5 years.

Economy At A Glance
• GDP (current US$) - $1.454 trillion, 2014
• GDP per capita (current US$) - 61,887.0, 2014
• Ranked 9th globally for wealthy individuals.
• High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) -
226,000, 2014.

Population At A Glance
• Population, total - 23.49 million 2014 (52nd most
populous country in the world)
• Population Density - 3 per sq km. (very sparse)
• Urban Population - 90%
• Median Age - 36.8 years
• Households - 7.8 mn (Census 2011)

Conclusion
• European Travel Commission notes that outbound travel is
becoming less of a lifestyle priority for Australians
particularly among the younger generations. Reluctance to
use credit to fund travel places a constraint on long-haul
travel.
• A bleak picture for the medium term is given by both
Deloitte and Tourism Research Australia.
• The weakening of Aussie Dollar, the impacts of a slowdown
in Chinese economy, lower growth in the number of “empty
nesters” (aged between 50-years-old and 70-years-old) -
an impetus behind outbound growth – all these may have a
role in the slow-down.
• However, outbound travel will continue at a modest pace
with Australians opting for less expensive and nearby
destinations.

References
• Canadian Tourism Commission,‘Australia Market Profile’,January
2013.
• Capegemini/RBC, ‘WorldWealth Report’,2015.
• Deloitte Access Economics,„Tourism and Hotel Market Outlook -
MidYear Update‟, August 2015.
• European Travel Commission,‘Market Insights - Australia’,January
2014.
• Hatching Communications,„Australian Market Travel Trend
Report’, Q2 2015.
• Singapore Tourism Board, Market Insights – Australia, March 2014.
• Tourism Research Australia,„Tourism Forecasts’, 2015.
• Tourism Research Australia,„Tourism Forecasts’, Autumn 2014.
• Tourism Research Australia,„State of the Industry’,2014.

References
• Tourism Ireland,„Australia Market Profile’.
• Tourism Research Australia,„What is driving Australians' travel
choices?’,June 2011.
• U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade
Administration, 2014 Market Profile: Australia, 2014.
• Visit Britain, ‘Australia Market and Trade Profile’,December 2014.
• http://data.worldbank.org/
• www.weekendnotes.com
• http://www.news.com.au/

To access our free country reports, log on
to starktourism.com
To commission a research project write to
us at gm@starktourism.com

Disclaimer
This report is based on the information from the
published sources and references mentioned and
inferences drawn are from them. Stark Tourism is not
responsible for errors/omissions that could have crept
in knowingly or unwittingly.

Australia outbound travel trends

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (11)

Similar to Australia outbound travel trends

Similar to Australia outbound travel trends (20)

More from Stark Tourism

More from Stark Tourism (8)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Australia outbound travel trends