Did you know that three-quarters (76%) of Australians are planning to take up to three vacations in 2024?
This is one statistic that American Express found in the American Express 2024 Global Travel Trends Report. This is an annual report from Amex, where they dive into the habits of travellers to reveal how we’re all travelling. Within the report were some interesting statistics of the current state of travel.
The leading reasons for travel plans included:
- 65% of Australians plan on travelling solo in 2024.
- 31% were planning a bucket list/dream vacation,
- 19% were planning to travel for a specific sporting event or concert,
- and travelling on a whim has become a big thing.
According to the report, Australians planning to spend an average of $9,131 on leisure travel this year. Even so, Australians are still looking at spending “hacks” to save money. For example, 25% of those surveyed are planning to use their credit card points to cover travel expenses this year.
Solo Travel
The most popular new travel companions are me, myself, and I. Solo trips are easier to schedule and tailor exactly to your liking, which makes them great for resetting after a busy week: 57% of respondents agreed that they were more likely to travel solo for a quick weekend getaway than for a longer or more expensive trip.
Cruises emerged in the findings as a cost-effective way to travel alone. The report has found that 19% of Australians planning on taking a trip in 2024 plan to take a cruise this year and of those planning on booking a cruise, 21% are Gen X and 20% are Millennials.
Buck List Travel
35% of Australians are planning to tick off their bucket-list trip this year as a top reason for planning a major trip in 2024.
In preparation, 73% agree that they are willing to give up daily expenses, like coffee and food delivery, to save money for their travels, with this figure jumping to 80% among Gen Z and Millennials.
81% of Australians agree that they are interested in finding the best flight deals to save money. Opting for multiple cheaper connecting flights over flying direct to a final destination (21%) and flying overnight to avoid additional accommodation costs (18%) are among the top travel hacks for those planning on taking a trip in 2024.
Event Travel
The report also revealed that 33% of Australians are interested in travelling for a big sporting/cultural event. The locations of interest included Paris (24%) along with New York (32%) and Miami (15%).
Spontaneous Trips
Although booking in advance can bring peace of mind and access to some of the most in-demand attractions, many travelers like to do at least some of their planning as they go. Indeed, 44% of respondents said they prefer to take a spontaneous trip instead of having all the details planned.
To see how that pans out, we can take a look at how respondents travelled last year.. According to American Express, 1 in 5 Aussies took a ‘last minute’ trip in 2023, and 21% did so a week or less in advance. Aussie travellers are in their ‘spontaneous trip’ era The main reason Aussie travellers are taking these spontaneous trips are because:
- Freedom to explore without pressure (45%)
- Have the ability to plan as you go (31%),
- Find the best price/deals (30%)
