Queensland most popular state for beach holidays
The latest Roy Morgan research showed Queensland, in particular the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, is by far the top pick at 34.6% for Aussie holiday goers seeking the sun and surf.
The news comes as eGlobal Travel Media reported the introduction of direct Qantas flights between Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef Airport, after visitor spending in the Whitsundays region grew by 14% to $706 million last year.
The Queensland Government has also got on board in attempt to pump up regional tourism by investing $3.1 million into 22 Queensland tourism and events projects across areas that include the Great Barrier Reef, Sunshine Coast and Outback Queensland.
Claiming the second spot on the Roy Morgan ladder as the favourite Aussie beach state was nearby New South Wales - NSW North and South Coasts - at 32.8%, followed by Victoria at 19.3%. While Western Australia has more coastline than any other state or territory, it only attracted 10.7% of Australian beach seekers.
Roy Morgan Research account director Angela Smith said that only 8.7% of Australia’s population travelled to the beach for their last domestic trip, which is a “surprising” result considering our vast coastline. However, she went on to explain that the figure makes sense, as “all but one of Australia’s capital cities are on the coast, and nearly 65% of Aussies live in a capital city.”
When analysing the type of people that choose to take a beach holiday, Smith said the results pointed towards “hard-working, family-orientated” people, who are 52% more likely than the average Aussie to take a beach holiday domestically.
“Typically hard-working and married, Castle and Kids tend to live in rural areas, and are anxious about their finances. The relative affordability of some coastal destinations would appeal to them - particularly if they could score a good package deal - as would the opportunity to spend quality time as a family.”
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