Australians are becoming increasingly comfortable with the idea of the international border reopening, as vaccination rates continue to increase across the country.
Around 57 per cent of Aussies feel comfortable with the international border ban lifting, according to a survey of 1000 adults commissioned by financial services company Savvy.
However, the destination where people would be willing to travel was still strongly influenced by the mitigation policies in place in overseas destinations, with 48 per cent saying it would ‘very significantly’ influence their choice and 31 per cent saying it would ‘significantly’ influence their choice.
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Of those looking to travel overseas, 87 per cent said they would be going for a holiday or to meet family and friends, while only 3 per cent said that they would be returning home.
The survey also found that 23 per cent of people said they would travel overseas within six to 12 months and 24 per cent would travel within one to two years.
Only 2 per cent of respondents said that they would be willing to take to the skies as soon as the restrictions were lifted.
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New Zealand and islands in the Pacific topped the list of preferred destinations in the survey, with 26 per cent of respondents looking for a holiday close to home, Asia was next on the list at 21 per cent and Europe at 20 per cent.
Only 7 per cent of respondents were looking to travel to the United Kingdom and only 6 per cent were looking at North America.
The effect of vaccinations in Australia also resulted in fewer Australians worrying about catching COVID (31 per cent) than those who were worried about being stuck in their destination (47 per cent).
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The survey also found that most Australians would still prefer to try to limit their contact with the unvaccinated, with 64 per cent of respondents stating that they would feel uncomfortable boarding a flight with unvaccinated passengers.
Older Australians felt even more strongly on the subject, with 59 per cent of 55 to 64-year-olds reporting they would feel ‘very uncomfortable’ with the prospect.
Only 18 per cent of respondents said that they would be comfortable sharing a flight with unvaccinated passengers and 43 per cent said the unvaccinated should get the jab before being allowed to travel.
Around 37 per cent of survey respondents said they would spend between $5000 and $10,000 on their next international trip.
“There is an appetite to travel and a lot of people have had two years to save up for a trip,” said Savvy managing director Bill Tsouvalas.
“Seeing as the upper end of spending is still quite small, with only 2 per cent saying they would spend over $20,000, this may indicate nervousness in going on holiday for extended periods. But overwhelmingly, Australians are eager to travel once again.”
When will you book your next international trip? Is there any reason you are hesitant to book a trip overseas? Where will you go on your next international trip? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
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