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New sales data from Travel Insurance Direct shows more families and grey nomads are heading on domestic holidays while younger travellers await the re-opening of international borders.

While the COVID-19 pandemic may have put a halt to most international holidays, Australians are relishing the opportunity to explore their own backyard with families and older travellers leading the charge.

Travel Insurance Direct CEO, Anna Gladman said 63% of domestic policy sales have been for family policies with generally longer itineraries.

“Australians are known for our love of travel but with international holidays off the cards for now, it’s the domestic vacation that’s whetting our appetite to explore and connect with others,” Mrs Gladman said.

“Local travel has really been embraced by both families and older travellers with 87% of our customers aged 30 or above.

“They are also travelling longer averaging between 8 to 13 days away compared to younger Australians who are taking off for much shorter mini-breaks, of up to five days away,” she added.

Topping the list of must-see destinations – the Sunshine State, followed by Tasmania and Western Australia with a recent survey* showing 93% of people intended to travel domestically in the next 12 months.

In addition, only 12.5% of people are holding off booking local holidays in the hope international travel will return.

“Travel is such an important part of our economy so it’s great to see more Aussies dusting off their suitcases and enjoying an “Aussieland” adventure as we’re calling it,” Mrs Gladman said.

“And we’re expecting this will grow even further following the Government’s recent move to slash the price of airline tickets to some of Australia’s most popular holiday destinations.

“This is great news for both travellers and the local tourism industry, helping to encourage even more people to find their own Bali or USA experience closer to home,” she said.

The survey also showed more than 90% of travellers are considering booking travel insurance for their domestic vacation reflecting an increased awareness of the role travel insurance can play in protecting travellers during local trips.

“To help bring peace of mind to travellers as they start planning their next trip, we’ve launched a new product earlier this year that includes plans which offer cover for some Coronavirus (COVID-19) related events, such as if travellers are diagnosed with Coronavirus on their journey” Mrs Gladman said.

The cover is available for purchase from tid.com.au