The ease with which we now discuss Australia as divided between COVID states and non-COVID states is somewhat alarming, but the fact is that different regions across Australia now act and plan very differently based on their exposure to the virus.
This is very evident in the latest survey, which has measured travel preparedness across Australia as both domestic and international borders start to open up.
Residents in NSW and Queensland have the highest levels of interest to undertake domestic trips for leisure and catching up with family and friends, mainly by car and air.
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NSW residents also had the highest interest in international travel to visit family and friends, with 30 per cent planning a trip in the next year.
Victorian residents are less interested in international and domestic trips for personal purposes, such as visiting family and friends, but are identical in their intention to travel for business.
“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,” the University of Sydney’s Professor David Hensher explained.
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Part of that problem is that there is still a high percentage of the population with no plans for any international travel (72 per cent), any domestic travel to visit family and friends (50 per cent), or any other domestic trips as a treat (45 per cent).
The survey by the University of Sydney found that nearly half of the Australian population is planning at least one domestic trip to visit family and friends next year.
The results also showed that almost 54 per cent of respondents were planning at least one domestic trip to treat themselves and that nearly 28 per cent were planning international trips to visit family and friends and 30 per cent international trips to treat themselves.
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In the next 12 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.
“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,” Prof. Hensher said.
Do you plan on travelling interstate or internationally in the next 12 months? Are you travelling to visit friends or family or as a treat? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
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