AusLeisure

Nearly 70% of Australians will take a break over the summer months with three in 10 people (30%) packing their bags in January for a holiday, according to a national poll commissioned by the Tourism & Transport Forum Australia (TTF).

The survey of 800 Australians by market research company Nielsen reveals that early January (1st to 11th January) is among the most popular times for Australians to set out on a summer holiday, with 17% planning to load up the family car or board a flight or cruise ship during that period.

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

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

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

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

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

TTF Chief Executive, Margy Osmond explains “tourism operators across Australia are gearing up for the January surge as nearly 30% of Australian holidaymakers plan to head to their getaway destination in the days and weeks ahead.

“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 10 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 known 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.”

Main image shows Victoria's Grampians National Park.

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