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Get your suitcase, pack your swimmers and book your ticket! Booking.com’s latest search data reveals sunshine, water and beaches are top of mind for Aussies planning their holidays.

With 84%* of Australians in Booking.com’s recent Travel Predictions report agreeing that seeing a body of water of some kind instantly improved their mood, it’s no surprise a destination near the ocean is the most popular after various restrictions and lockdowns. Queensland is a crowd favourite yet again, with the Gold Coast taking the number one spot in our Top 20 domestic destinations, followed by several other metro cities.

Coastal getaways appear next on the agenda for keen domestic travellers with Cairns, Airlie Beach, Noosa Heads and Byron Bay high on the list, making it clear Australian travellers are excited for some vitamin-sea this summer holidays.

Various international border rumours were the talk of the town over the last year and now the debate can officially be settled as to where Aussies are most keen to revisit. Fiji has rolled in as the number one most searched international destination that Aussies are vying for, followed by Singapore, Dubai, London and Honolulu. With some of the most notable cities in the world, Paris, New York, Bangkok and Tokyo still making their mark in the Top 20.

With 82% of Aussies reporting travelling helps their mental and emotional wellbeing more than other forms of rest and relaxation, a travel surge should be expected and encouraged in 2022.

Top 20 Most Searched Domestic Destinations for November to January by Australian users – includes year on year noteworthy increases from 2020 to 2021 

  1. Gold Coast
  2. Sydney
  3. Perth
  4. Brisbane
  5. Melbourne
  6. Cairns
  7. Adelaide
  8. Airlie Beach
  9. Noosa Heads
  10. Byron Bay
  11. Mooloolaba
  12. Hobart
  13. Port Macquarie
  14. Caloundra
  15. Hervey Bay
  16. Coffs Harbour
  17. Port Douglas
  18. Nelson Bay
  19. Newcastle
  20. Darwin

Top 20 Most Searched International Destinations for November to January by Australian users – includes year on year noteworthy increases from 2020 to 2021 

  1. Fiji
  2. Singapore
  3. Dubai
  4. London
  5. Honolulu
  6. Paris
  7. Queenstown
  8. New York
  9. Bangkok
  10. Patong Beach
  11. Los Angeles
  12. Tokyo
  13. Phuket Town
  14. Sorrento
  15. Istanbul
  16. Rome
  17. Las Vegas
  18. Bali
  19. Hong Kong
  20. Auckland

**Top searched destinations by users from AU during the month of October 2021, with check in windows of less than 3 months

*Travel Predictions 2022 research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who plan to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months. In total 24,055 respondents across 31 countries and territories were polled (including 501 from Argentina, 1003 from Australia, 500 from Belgium, 1001 from Brazil, 500 from Canada, 1000 from China, 1007 from Colombia, 1001 from Croatia, 508 from Denmark, 1002 from France, 1000 from Germany, 1005 from Hong Kong, 1000 from India, 502 from Israel, 1003 from Italy, 1002 from Japan, 500 from Mexico, 501 from The Netherlands, 501 from New Zealand, 500 from Peru, 1000 from Russia, 1005 from Singapore, 1002 from South Korea, 1002 from Spain, 501 from Sweden, 501 from Switzerland, 504 from Taiwan, 500 from Thailand, 1000 from the UK, 1002 from the US and 501 from Vietnam). Respondents completed an online survey in August 2021.