Travel buzz: Over 2 million Aussies intend to travel within the next 12 months

Every Aussie has their favourite travel destination, whether it be London, Rome or New York and according to recent Roy Morgan data, we’re a nation that’s travelling more than ever!

The data revealed that approximately 2.3 million Aussies are intending to head overseas within the next 12 months, up 4.2% from a decade ago.

The reason for the increase could be due to the steady population growth Australia has experienced, as the nation is set to hit a total population of 25 million within the next month.

“Over the last decade the figures are undeniable – Australians are looking to travel overseas in greater numbers than ever before – and that’s not just due to a growing population. Australia’s overall population has grown by about 3 million in the last decade,” said Roy Morgan CEO, Michele Levine.

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And surprisingly, over 1 million of these Aussies are packing their bags and heading to Asia, up 2.2% from a decade ago.

“The rise of Asia as a travel destination is borne out by the figures with over 1 million Australians now intending to travel to Asia in the next months compared to under 500,000 a decade ago,” Levine said.

The Asian 'hot spot' destinations

With 10.90% and 10.50% of Aussies planning to travel to Indonesia and Japan within the next 12 months, respectively, Levine said Aussies are flocking to these countries like never before.

And unfortunately for China’s tourism industry, it also means Aussies are choosing to skip out on the Forbidden City for Monkey Forests.

“However, there are some losers as well. The intention to travel to China has plummeted in the last decade since Beijing hosted a successful Summer Olympics in 2008. Now only 5.3% of Australians planning an overseas trip in the next 12 months plan to travel to China, down 4.6% from a decade ago,” Levine said.

“The intention to travel to both Hong Kong and mainland China has fallen significantly since 2008.”

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Dabbling in risky business?

Since travel gives us the chance to dabble in new experiences, it’s not uncommon for many Aussies to try something new while abroad. For example, if you’re heading off to Japan, you might want to try your hand at skiing.

But before you jump on the back of a quad or jump off a waterfall, you’re going to need travel insurance.

While you might be rolling your eyes at the reminder, it might surprise you to know that last year, almost 1 million Aussies travelled without insurance - of those 1 million, 52% went on to engage in risky behaviour.  

And when it came down to the 6% of Aussies who engaged in winter sports like skiing while overseas, 58% were not covered by a travel insurance policy.

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“Travellers without insurance, or with insurance that does not cover them for their activities or pre-existing conditions, could pay potentially very expensive costs for emergency treatment and medical evacuation,” said the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

So if you’re jetting off to Bali or Thailand in the next few months and want to safeguard your trip, check out travel insurance comparison tool to compare some of the latest travel insurance deals.