Pandemic leaves a third of Aussies feeling 'more adventurous' and ready to travel
After more than 18 months of lockdowns and travel restrictions, it’s unsurprising that most Australians are seeking time with family and friends as part of their next adventure.A new survey by Mitsubishi Motors Australia shows more than a third of Aussies are feeling more adventurous and willing to try something new, as compared to before the pandemic with hitting the road and heading on a well-deserved break high on the priority list. The Great Australian Getaway is back on with more than 70% of Australians planning to travel this summer.
Over half of those surveyed said that they want to spend time with family and friends as part of their next adventure, followed by experiencing more of Australia outside of their home state (38%). The results showed that the country’s most adventure-hungry residents live in states that have endured the most stringent lockdowns with New South Wales (43%) and Victoria (36%) residents ready to explore something new the most.
Synonymous with the road trip, it’s not surprising that for nearly half of all Aussies (45%) the preferred mode of travel is driving. Australians on average take between two and three road trips a year, with three in four saying that they planning a road trip in 2022.
It is families who are most likely to be hitting the road in 2022, with 82% of parents with children under 18 planning a road trip. Anything to get away from homeschooling and keeping the kids entertained at home!
When it comes to making a good road trip great, survey respondents said that the scenery (60%), stop-offs along the way (47%) and the drive and in-car experience (35%) are the most enjoyable aspects of life on the road. While a third said the ideal road trip destinations are a beach or coastal location, followed by an outback adventure (17%), a rainforest adventure (11%), a city adventure (10%), the bush (9%) and the snow (6%).
More than one in three are planning short trips no more than 100km in distance, while surprisingly one in five are plan on travelling more than 1,000km. For those travelling interstate, the top of Aussies’ road-trip wishlist includes heading to Queensland (20%) and New South Wales (18%), followed by Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory and then ACT.
“This is a new era of adventure,” said Shaun Westcott, Mitsubishi Motors Australia’s CEO, “Australians have spent significant time at home over the past two years. Matching Australians’ new ambitions for jobs, socialising and travel are their new expectations when it comes to the approaching the holiday season. The Great Australian Getaway will be a mainstay of Christmas/Summer 2021. As Australia re-opens, there is a real desire to reignite our collective passion for the family road trip and discover new experiences.”
In 2020, caravanning had become the go-to for road trip travelling and this continued into 2021. It has become especially popular heading into Christmas for those driven by wanderlust, families looking for the ultimate adventure or grey nomads hoping to unwind.
The 2020 caravancampingsales consumer research survey revealed Tasmania as the top caravanning destination people wanted to visit with Queensland destinations Cape York and Cairns level pegging in the runner-up spot.
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