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The Council of Australian Tour Operators’ (CATO) today unveiled a new benchmark report into Australia’s outbound leisure market, providing new insights into the activities and intentions of overseas holidaymakers.

Drawing on information compiled from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for 2018 and an independent consumer survey, the inaugural Australians on Holiday – International Leisure Travel Trends report examines the size, shape and direction of Australia’s outbound leisure market.

The report shows that in 2018, Australian holidaymakers:

  • took 6.3 million overseas leisure trips (representing a market penetration of 25.1%)
  • spent more than AUD$46 billion in total and an average of AUD$7,300 per person
  • visited an average 3.4 countries per vacation
  • enjoyed an average of 22 days on holiday per trip.

In terms of destinations, South East Asia was the most popular region for a break (accounting for 35% of all holiday departures) and Indonesia the favourite country, well ahead of United States and New Zealand.

While the appeal of an overseas holiday was strong across almost all age groups, the report reveals that older travellers (51+ years) tended to operate with larger holiday budgets, took longer breaks and were more inclined to explore long-haul destinations such as Europe. It also highlighted the fact in 2018 almost a quarter of Australians travelled alone on a holiday.

CATO Managing Director Brett Jardine says that the new report does more than conveniently bring together a broad range of data.

“It establishes a platform which the industry can now use to monitor changes in Australians’ overseas travel habits – from where they like to holiday to how much time and money they spend, and how this compares across different age categories,” says Jardine.

“In that sense, the value of the report will only grow each year as it reveals new and emerging trends that help us understand the changing behaviours of Australia holidaymakers.”

To view the Australians on Holiday – International Leisure Travel Trends report visit www.cato.travel.