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Australia and New Zealand Travel Trends
Sojern teamed up with Google to look at inbound travel trends to Australia and New Zealand. Our latest report showcases mobile and cross-device trends, last-minute planning patterns, and market growth trends as well as takeaways so you can plan more strategic marketing campaigns.
Australia and New Zealand were once considered “bucket list” destinations. Expensive flights and long travel times meant they were out of reach for many. However, the advent of several regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) means that these two countries are more accessible than ever. And it shows. Both Australia and New Zealand have lofty tourism goals into 2020 and beyond, and the data shows that interest to these countries is only growing.
To that end, Sojern and Google take a look at travel trends for Australia and New Zealand in our new report. Here, we share a few of the highlights along with some marketing takeaways:
Interest in travel to Australia and New Zealand is truly global
The top origins looking to travel to Australia and New Zealand are diverse. There is intra-regional interest from Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and so on. But, the United Kingdom, United States, and Germany comprise three of the top five searching origins.
Knowing where interest is rising is crucial—especially if your established markets, like Vietnam, continue to grow. Consider engaging these markets with innovative rich media formats to raise awareness. Formats like video or YouTube capture early planners and inspire them to action.
Mobile-first Searches Indicate Need for More Mobile Marketing
Over half, 56% of in-region Google travel queries for Australia and New Zealand came from mobile phones indicating mobile-first behaviour when searching for travel. Sojern saw the mobile-first trend continue with international travellers planning trips to this region: 43% of travellers from outside the APAC region searched for trips on mobile.
The impact of mobile isn’t a trend that the travel industry can ignore. Frictionless, fast-loading, mobile-friendly websites reduce complications during the booking experience, and decrease your chances of losing an online, direct booking.
Mobile-first, but Travellers Moving Cross Device to Book
Tourists travelling to Australia and New Zealand engage heavily in mobile while planning their trip, but many move cross-device when booking. APAC travellers, those closest in distance to these markets, are more likely to book on their mobile phones. This is consistent with what we’ve seen in the past. It indicates that when consumers book within the region or book last minute, they use mobile to do so. However, when booking a trip that is further away in distance or time, they switch to a desktop.
With mobile searches on the rise—despite increased complexity—implementing a multichannel strategy that engages travellers on all devices at every stage of the path to purchase is key for travel marketers.
Want even more about Australia and New Zealand travel trends? Download our entire report now.
About LLuvia
LLuvia Rodriguez is Sojern's Senior Data Insights Analyst. Born and raised in San Francisco's Mission District, LLuvia studied Physics and Electrical Engineering at UCSD and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Previous to Sojern, LLuvia researched stellar intensity interferometry. Nowadays, she's busy advocating for beautiful data viz at Sojern, playing Zelda, and hanging with her cat, Tesla.