Young, single Australians travel more in search of love

21 October 2007

The number of young, single Australians traveling in search of love is on the rise, according to a new survey.

Over 3,000 people were surveyed in the Travel and Lifestyle Trends Report, commissioned by travel and lifestyle website lastminute.com.au

The new online travel report has revealed that Australians are traveling younger than ever before and are more likely to travel in an effort to find romance.

Of those surveyed, singles made up the largest proportion (33%) of people traveling to “escape life.”

A quarter of Australians said they travel to satisfy their desire to meet new people.

Though 61% of Australian travelers ranked regular travel as an important part of their life, only half said they travel overseas every two years or less.

Chris Meehan, chief operating officer of lastminute.com.au, remarks, “Gone are the days of having one big trip – we’re now seeing a trend towards shorter breaks, with holidaymakers cutting down their foreign escapades to one to two weeks in length.”

“While the increase in budget airlines is one factor behind the rise in shorter getaways,” Chris Meehan adds, “the demise of the elongated holiday is also due to the Aussie work culture. Aussies are working longer hours and it’s no surprise that the holiday is begrudgingly put on the back burner along with lunch breaks and a good night’s sleep.”

New South Wales, the most populous state in Australia, has the most number of frequent flyers, with one in five heading overseas at least once a
year.

South Australians have been ranked first in the mater of traveling the least, with the majority (42.5%) leaving the country only once every five years.

As for the Australians choosing their favorite overseas destination, New Zealand came in first, followed by the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Gold Coast was voted the favorite Australian holiday destination.

Qantas, Australia’s national airline, was voted the best all-round international airline.

The survey by lastminute.com.au showed that queues and rigorous bag checks infuriated some travelers. However, those surveyed supported the extra security measures, such as tighter carry-on rules, with 72% saying that they think “it’s a good thing.”

According to the Travel and Lifestyle Trends Report, over 65% of those surveyed admitted that terrorism had affected their willingness to travel. A good number of Australians said that they “won’t travel overseas anymore.”

However, 31% remained undeterred by the fear of terrorism, stressing that terrorism scares “won’t stop me from traveling.”