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For Australians, jetting off on a long-haul holiday will be unlikely for some time as restrictions remain on international travel. However, Australians are readily embracing the opportunity to explore their own backyards, according to new data from Amadeus.

Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia are seeing higher booked occupancy levels three weeks prior to the September (Term 2) school holidays than they saw three weeks prior to the June (Term 3) school holidays. Northern Territory was by far the most popular destination, seeing a 139% increase in occupancy in the three weeks prior to September holidays compared to the June holidays.

In fact, September school holiday occupancy one week prior to the holiday (as of 14 of September) in the Northern Territory has already exceeded actual June holiday occupancy (21 June – 25 July) at 20% and 11.6% respectively. In Queensland, the state is seeing a 125% increase in booked occupancy in the three weeks prior to September school holidays compared to the winter period. New South Wales occupancy is also up 83% three weeks prior (from 2.8% in early June to 5.3% in late August).

The figures released today by global travel technology company Amadeus through its Demand360® solution, compares Australian holiday booking data between the June holiday period (21 June – 25 July) and September holiday period (13 September – 17 October). Demand360 provides forward-looking occupancy data from 30,000 global hotel data providers.

“Historically, following a major global crisis, airlines are the leading indicator for recovery. In the age of COVID-19, historical trends no longer apply as hotel occupancy and revenue change week by week. We are now seeing a phased recovery pattern, where domestic travel is coming back first, driven by different countries and states’ restrictions,” said Maria Taylor, Head of Hospitality APAC at Amadeus.

“This data is a welcome sign for travel and hotel operators, as it shows that Australians are ready to travel domestically again over the school holiday periods, with a new focus on closer-to-home options. The rise of local and last minute getaways makes it imperative for hotel properties to have access to comprehensive, forward-looking data to gain visibility into specific states and plan for recovery.”

 A significant change occurring in the hospitality industry since COVID-19 is to the booking window. Typically, Demand360® data shows the booking window anywhere between 0-28 days, with resorts and other destinations farther out. During the June school holidays, across all states the majority of bookings were within 0-7 days of travel, with a similar pattern expected for the September period.

Each state and territory is seeing a similar increase in occupancy trends from week to week. However, overall performance varies by state and impacted by local travel regulations. During the June holidays, Victoria saw a significant occupancy increase (from 4.8% in early June to 32.3% for the actual holiday period). However, as Victoria went into Stage 4 lockdown in July, occupancy has been impacted and remained relatively flat for September holidays (from 1.6% in late August to 1.9% in mid-September).

The data reveals a more positive story for South Australia and Western Australia, with relaxed COVID-19 restrictions and travel permitted throughout most of the states. South Australia saw an occupancy increase of 211% one week prior to the September holidays (from 1.8% in late June to 5.6% in mid-September) and Western Australia is up 48% (from 11.3% in late June to 16.7% in mid-September).

Australian states and territories are all under different levels of restrictions and lockdowns which means travellers are waiting until the very last minute to make hotel reservations,” explains Taylor. “Travellers are more nervous and are taking the time to call the property directly or visit their website to find out about cleanliness, amenities and what to expect on site. Hoteliers will need to tailor their recovery approach to domestic traveller needs, shorter booking windows and new booking channels.”