How much are Australians planning domestic and international trips?
The survey looked at reasons for domestic (or interstate) and international travel, finding almost 54 percent are planning at least one domestic trip to treat themselves.
Nearly 28 percent of Australians are planning international trips to visit family and friends, and about 30 percent are planning to take international trips to treat themselves.
These were among the findings of the latest Transport Opinion Survey of over 1,000 Australians, conducted in September 2021 by the University of Sydney Business School’s internationally respected Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS).
Founding Director of ITLS, Professor David Hensher said: “It seems clear that there will be a surge in domestic and international travel once the domestic and international borders are opened again and when hotel quarantine is no longer mandated.”
In the following twelve months, each Australian resident plans to take, on average, 1.03 domestic trips to visit family and friends and 0.84 trips to travel within Australia to treat themselves. On average, each Australian also plans to take 0.72 international trips to visit family or friends or treat themselves.
Travel differences between states and territories
The September 2021 survey found differences in travel intentions among Australians living in different states and territories. Residents in NSW and QLD have the highest levels of interest to undertake domestic trips for leisure and catching up with family and friends mainly by car and air.
NSW residents also had the highest interest in international travel to visit family and friends, with 30 percent planning a trip in the next year. Victorian residents are less interested in conducting international and domestic trips for personal purposes such as visiting family and friends, but they are identical in their intention to travel for business purposes.
“This evidence is an encouraging sign of a slow but positive recovery in tourism travel out of lockdown in the states most affected, although there are worrying signs for the recovery of domestic business travel,” said Professor Hensher.
About the Transport Opinion Survey
The Transport Opinion Survey is currently the only regular national survey to measure public opinion on transport-related issues.
The September 2021 survey was conducted between the 14th and 24th of September 2021, with completed responses from 1,105 Australians aged over 18 years. The sample is representative of Australia’s population distribution and demographic characteristics.
The Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies has been conducting the survey biannually since 2010.