To holiday or not to holiday? –That is the big Aussie question

Too many Australians will have work not holidays on their mind this festive season according to a national survey of 1000 people by the Tourism & Transport Forum Australia [TTF]

“Some 40.3 per cent of those surveyed said it would be business as usual and 12.5 per cent said they would only take time off to relax on the public holidays,” said TTF CEO, Margy Osmond.

“As the weather warms and the Christmas/New Year public holidays rush at us Aussies need to remember that we live on one of the greatest and most diverse continents on Earth and everything it has to offer is in our backyard for a long weekend or a few weeks soaking up the sun.

“Australians are well known as leave hoarders – collectively we have 123.5 million days’ worth of leave up our sleeve according to Roy Morgan Research.

“Victorians seem the least likely to take holidays with 56.5 per cent saying work will be the priority and people from NSW are most likely to take that much needed break with only 48 per cent saying they would be working through the holidays.

“For those dreaming of a holiday the beach is a top choice with some 20 per cent heading for the sun and sand and another 21.4 per cent say their ‘dream’ break is to go for an affordable overseas option like Fiji or Bali to get that seaside fix.

“Despite the falling Australian dollar just over 15 per cent of Australians will still be heading for an expensive international destination such as the snow in Canada and Japan.

“The lower dollar is having an effect with 28 per cent indicating that they are looking to take more domestic holidays and an additional 9 per cent said they had cancelled overseas plans in favour of a local break. While 18 per cent are still travelling overseas they have altered their travel plans to stay somewhere cheaper or expect to spend more for their original plans.

“The lure of all that summer sport on the television means that nearly 13 per cent of respondents say they are happy to settle down on the sofa at home and binge on their favourite TV shows and the cricket.

“A summer getaway is just what the doctor ordered to recharge our collective batteries for 2016.

“Taking a break is good for the soul and good for the economy – we need to be encouraging more
Australians to take a well-deserved break this summer and through New Year.”

Question Result
Do you intend to take a break from your normal day-to-day activities during Dec/Jan to enjoy some leisure time (e.g. have some time off from work, study, volunteering, usual routine)?
Yes, I’ll be taking some time out from my normal routine in December/January 47.2%
Yes, but only on public holidays – I won’t be taking any extra days off 12.5%
No, I won’t be changing my normal routine during these months at all 40.3%
 
What is the ideal/dream summer holiday for you?
Stay at home and catch up on favourite TV shows or sport 12.7%
Go to the beach 20.0%
Go to the country 10.2%
Go to a reasonably affordable overseas holiday destination like Fiji, Bali or Thailand 21.4%
Stay with family interstate 8.5%
Stay at work. I hate school holiday crowds 7.2%
Theme parks 4.5%
Fabulously exotic and expensive international holiday 15.7%
 
How has the lower Australian dollar (down by around 13% over the past year) affected your travel intentions?
I have not made any international or domestic travel plans over the past year 24.3%
I have switched my intended international destination(s) to areas with a cheaper currency 4.7%
I have kept my intended international travel destination but have swapped the activities, quality of accommodation etc. to keep to a similar budget 8.4%
I have kept my intended international travel destination and expect to spend more for a similar experience to the one I had planned 18.1%
I have switched from an international to a domestic destination 8.7%
I will travel to more domestic destinations 28.1%
Other (please specify) 1.9%