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 The United States (US), China and India are among the most popular long-haul1 destinations for Australian travellers2 this festive season, according to analysis conducted by Travelport (NYSE:TVPT), a leading travel commerce platform. 

As of 7 December 2018, 23,679 advanced bookings had been made3 in Australia through all global distribution systems (GDS) for return flights to the US scheduled between 21 December and 30 December 2018. This is the third consecutive year for the US to be ranked the hottest long-haul festive destination for Australian travellers.

Flight bookings to second placed China and third placed India stood at 19,959 and 18,396, respectively. These two countries were also shown to be the fastest growing long-haul festive destinations for Australian travellers in terms of volume (both up by over 5%).

Global distribution systems (GDS) are vast hi-tech reservation networks that allow travel agents, travel management companies and large corporations, among others, to search and book airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items. Globally in 2017, Travelport alone processed 1 trillion transactions through its platform. The company also delivers mobile services and apps to the travel industry as well as advanced analytics products, such as Travelport Business Intelligence.

Scott Barber, Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, Travelport, commented: “The constant appeal of the US to Australian travellers could attribute to its unique festive celebrations, grand shopping sales, distinctive weather conditions and abundant flight options.”

Barber added: “We are also excited to see the growing appeal of China and India to Australian travellers. This is partly boosted by the opening of new flight routes connecting some emerging destinations in these countries. The closer economic and cultural ties as well as travellers’ better understanding of their tourist attractions have also contributed to the growth.”