China, South Africa emerge as darlings of social media set
New Zealand tops the list of overseas holiday destinations for Australians in 2011, but new destinations are emerging as the next hot spots, according to custom research agency TNS.
The TNS Overseas Travel Study (TOTS) found that, as a group, Australians still value the proximity and security of their holiday destinations when heading overseas.
According to director of travel research at TNS, Carolyn Childs, New Zealand, the US, Canada, Europe and the UK remain perennial favourites with Australians.
“The USA and Canada have shown strong growth in visitation thanks to a strong (Aussie) dollar and more competitive aviation environment making them more accessible,†said Childs.
Top travel destinations for Australians in 2011
1. New Zealand 42%
2. United States/ Canada 40%
3. Europe outside of UK 35%
4. UK 31%
5. Fiji/ other Pacific islands 26%
6. Hong Kong / Singapore 25%
7. Malaysia/ Thailand 25%
8. Bali/ Indonesia 23%
9. Elsewhere in Asia 23%
10. China 15%
The study found that ‘Influencers’, who are active advocates on social media and blogs, will turn their attention towards the following in 2011:
– Emerging nations like China [Influencers twice as likely to visit as rest of population]
– Other Asian nations [Influencers 1.5 times as likely to visit as rest of population]
– Africa, especially South Africa [Influencers twice as likely to visit as rest of population]
– Antarctica [Influencers 3.5 times as likely to visit as rest of population]
“Engaging with this Influencer group is a great way for less mainstream destinations to gain traction in the growing Australian outbound market,†said Childs.
“But there is no reason for mature destinations to despair. The largest single group of Australians are ‘Functional’ online users, who are older, more conservative and less digitally connected and often affluent and highly loyal.
“They are more likely to travel to destinations such as New Zealand, Europe, Fiji and the Pacific Islands.
“With this group, it is about staying front of mind with great ‘proof points’ when they are actively searching. In this context. New Zealand’s recent 100% Pure You is a great example of how this can work.â€
Ian Jarrett
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