While Queensland’s pristine beaches remain the most popular mid-year holiday choice, this year’s Wotif.com July school holidays data reveals Aussie families are beginning to buck the trend, with Australian ski fields in for a bumper season, and an increased interest in warmer climates overseas.
The hot list: movers and shakers
Wotif’s predicted ‘mover and shaker’ holiday destinations based on July school holiday year-on-year searches on Wotif.com**:
What’s hot close to home?
Queensland remains Australia’s favourite home-away-from-home, with demand for the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Cairns firmly at the top of the wish list*. The tropical north provides the best value for families these July school holidays, with the average predicted rate in Cairns at $149 per night for two adults and two children.
But after a long summer and with significant investments being made, searches for Victoria’s Mount Buller have significantly increased by 45% over the last year, with Jindabyne not far behind up 30%, showing Aussies are also seeking cool respite these school holidays**.
Is it too late to book a ski trip though?
It’s not! A good tip though is to avoid the obvious and opt to stay at nearby towns. For example, Cooma in NSW has a predicted average daily rate of $188 a night, compared to Jindabyne’s $282, offering families an average saving of nearly 35%***.
So what’s driving the snow love? Recent developments at Mount Buller including the introduction of a $1.6 million Technoalpin ‘Snow Factory’, have seen the region become the first ski area in the Southern Hemisphere, outside of Chile to have such technology installed. Families will also enjoy Mount Buller’s newly introduced night skiing on Saturdays and Sundays in peak season, and an ongoing entertainment schedule in the Village Square. Get amongst the action!
Where are families heading overseas?
The biggest surprise to come from this year’s Wotif July school holidays data was the increased interest in close-to-home international destinations. Bali still remains a favourite for Australians, but if we continue to see the same trend over the next two years, we may have a new Bali on offer, by way of Vietnam.
Searches for Ho Chi Minh City have almost doubled (195%) compared to last year, with Singapore (50%) and Phuket (40%) coming out as emerging, close to home destinations for July school holiday travellers**.
Vietnam offers exceptional landscapes, delicious cuisine and a diverse yet welcoming culture for families to explore. It is now easier than ever for Aussie families to head further afield, with the introduction of budget friendly flight routes including Jetstar’s new nonstop Ho Chi Minh City service from both Sydney and Melbourne in May.
Based on Wotif’s predicted daily accommodation rate, Aussie families can visit Vietnam from $127 a night, making it one of the most affordable destinations these July school holidays when compared to other international destinations***.
Book your July school holiday break now!
Hotels
Flights
Packages
Activities
Car hire
*Data accordingly to Wotif.com accommodation search between 1 January to 6 June 2017 for the travel dates from 23 June – 21 July 2017.
**Data accordingly to Wotif.com accommodation search between 1 January to 6 June 2017 for the travel dates from 30 June to 14 July 2017, compared to the 2016 accommodation search between 1 January to 6 June 2016 for the travel dates 1 July to 15 July 2016.
***Best value destinations are based on the average daily rate for 3 – 5 star rated and self-rated accommodation bookings made in June 2016 on Wotif.com for the travel dates 23 June to 21 July 2016 for the described destinations. Prices shown are in Australian dollars and are not the rates displayed on the site. Rates are subject to accommodation selections made and correct as at June 17, 2017.
About Wotif’s Australian Travel Research
The research was commissioned by Wotif and conducted by Lonergan Research in accordance with the ISO 20252 standard. Lonergan Research surveyed 2,018 Australians aged 18+. Surveys were distributed throughout Australia including both capital city and regional areas. The survey was conducted online amongst members of a permission-based panel, between 26th October and 2nd November 2016. After interviewing, data was weighted to the latest population estimates sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
