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New Data Has Revealed The 4 Up-And-Coming Aussie Towns We’ve Discovered In 2020

New Data Has Revealed The 4 Up-And-Coming Aussie Towns We’ve Discovered In 2020

With the rise of road trips and exploring closer to home, travel in 2021 is will be back, but looking a little different. At the top of everyone’s list, is finding new towns to explore, preferably without all the crowds.

Amex Travel gathered their online booking data from November 5, 2019, to November 5 in 2020 to see which destinations around the country had the biggest year-on-year growth in popularity, and there might be a few surprises.

 

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A post shared by Byron Bay (@byron.bay.nsw)

While the three destinations with the largest YOY growth in bookings are less of a surprise. Coffs Harbour had a 700 percent increase, Port Macquarie grew 500 percent and the ever-popular Byron grew in bookings by 337 percent. With international travel off the table for a while, it’s not shocking that people are spending their travel funds on some favourite Aussie locations.

 

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A post shared by Visit Bathurst NSW (@visitbathurst)

Next, however, Amex identified some upcoming favourites. On the top of their list, right where no-one saw it coming, was Bathurst with a 179 percent growth, YOY. Excuse me but, is Bathurst cool now? I guess this is my excuse to investigate.

Next on the upcoming list was Lord Howe Island with a 150 percent growth. This STUNNING island has really been making headlines lately, most notably making National Geographic’s ‘Best Trips’ list for 2021.

Mackay (125 percent growth YOY) and Hayman Island (117 percent growth YOY) rounded out the top four up-and-comers.

Add to these trends that the Amex Trendex report (surveying 1000 people earlier this year) found that 69 percent of Aussies would feel comfortable to travel within the next six months, and 24 percent plan to do so over the Chrissie break, I’d say Aussie tourism is about to boom (at least, let’s hope so).

Like I needed any more excuses.

(Lead Image: Instagram / @georgiaepaul)

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