Melbourne Regains Top Spot As Preferred Holiday Destination For Australians

Melbourne has won back the top spot as Australia’s preferred city holiday destination from the Gold Coast.

According to research by Roy Morgan, more than 2,797,000 Australians aged 14 and above expressed their preference to visit the city in the next two years.

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The findings show that Aussies’ desire to explore domestic holiday destinations has surged, with 14.6 million people expressing a keen interest in spending at least one night away in the next two years.

This resurgence comes after a significant dip in popularity during the pandemic years of 2020 to 2022.

With the easing of mandatory isolation policies in the December quarter of 2022, the city has recaptured the hearts of travellers across the nation.

Michele Levine, the CEO of Roy Morgan, said Melbourne was selected by almost 2.8 million Australians as a holiday destination, up by a massive 690,000 compared to December 2021.

How good is this?! This new research shows Melbourne has regained its position as the preferred holiday destination for Australians. Thank you to our hardworking people in events, hospitality and retail who make Melbourne such a magnet for tourism. Onwards and upwards!

— Sally Capp AO – Lord Mayor of Melbourne (@LordMayorMelb) August 2, 2023

“Just under 2 million Australians mentioned Brisbane, 1,991,000 or Hobart, 1,943,000,” Ms Levine said.

“The preference for visiting Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart has defied the trends elsewhere and strengthened during the pandemic period,” she said.

Sydney, the iconic harbour city, closely follows in third place, with 2,727,000 Australians now aspiring to experience its splendour within the same timeframe.

Brisbane is the fourth most desired domestic holiday destination, with 1,991,000 Australians looking forward to spending at least one night in the city within the next two years. 

Perth has witnessed an increase of 150,000 people interested in travelling to the city. 

Ms Levine said that with Australians’ desire to visit domestic cities remaining at an all-time high, it brought much-needed economic growth to various regions across the country.

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