Nearly 70 per cent of Australians will be taking a break over the summer months with three in ten people (30 per cent) packing their bags in January for a much deserved holiday, according to a national poll commissioned by the Tourism & Transport Forum Australia (TTF).

The survey of 800 Australians by pollster Nielsen reveals that early January (1st – 11th) is one of the most popular times for Aussies to set out on a summer holiday following the conclusions of the busy Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, with 17 per cent planning to load up the family car or board a flight or cruise ship.

The mid-January period (12th – 25th) will also be action-packed with a further 13 per cent of people planning to get away from it all, while 5 per cent are waiting for Australia Day to come and go and schools to be back in session before taking their well-earned holiday.

Early January is the most popular time for Victorians (25 per cent) and New South Welshmen (19 per cent) to get away while West Australians (22 per cent) and Queenslanders (16 per cent) prefer mid-January to take a break.

Three in four Australians (75 per cent) will be exploring the beauty and wonder of their island continent on a domestic holiday with more than half (53 per cent) choosing a destination in their home state while a further (22 per cent) will head interstate.

A road trip in the car (54 per cent) is the most popular way to reach the holiday destination, followed by a flight (31 per cent) for those longer interstate or international journeys.

Traveling to another Australian city is the most likely destination (38 per cent) just ahead of the coast or an island (30 per cent) and a regional town (20 per cent) with the bush/outback (6 per cent) for those looking for a rugged adventure.

“Tourism operators across Australia are gearing up for the January surge as nearly 30 per cent of Australian holidaymakers plan to head to their getaway destination in the days and weeks ahead,” said Margy Osmond, TTF CEO.

“For the industry, this is the busiest time of the year, and the good news is it appears to be shaping up as another cracking season with a whopping seven in ten people planning to take some sort of break even if it’s just a day trip away. That is a big win for the nation’s visitor economy and the one million jobs it supports.

“It has been a very tough 2016 with global uncertainty and the sadness of many well know and talented personalities leaving us through the year.

“It’s no surprise that many Australians are looking to use the summer holidays and the New Year as an opportunity to reset, recoup and recharge!”