Accor: Falling Australian dollar boosting domestic bookings
Global hotel group Accor says the continuing weakness in the Australian dollar has had a notable effect on Australians’ travel plans, with more choosing to take domestic holidays.
"We had been expecting an improvement in inbound but to be honest the biggest benefit is the domestic market," said Accor Asia Pacific chairman Michael Issenberg.
"What we are finding is particularly an upsurge in domestic vacations. It has obviously gotten a lot more expensive to go overseas for a holiday, particularly to places like the US."
Issenberg also said outbound travel to Asian destinations such as Thailand is falling as many Asia nations’ currency is pegged to the US dollar.
Traditional tourist hotspot Bali has declined while resorts in tropical northern Queensland have seen a surge in guests.
Accor has recently trialled a new pre-paid package in hotels on the Sunshine Coast, offering soft drinks free all day plus a limited time alcoholic beverage plan for $20.
A similar package is available for children offering complimentary kids’ meals and activities.
Accor plans to launch the package at 100 resorts across Asia Pacific.
"When you go on holidays a lot of times you budget for your accommodation and airfare and sometimes it can be quite expensive for your food and beverage," Issenberg added.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025