Cold snap forces people out of town
As Australia’s eastern states experience one of the coldest winters in 20 years, travel.com.au says that people are flocking to the airport to get out of town in search of milder temperatures.
With the first two weeks in July delivering the coldest Sydney day in 21 years, the coldest day in Queensland for 13 years and the coldest day in Melbourne for nine years, travel.com.au says people have been drawn to their computers in search of sunshine.
In the first two weeks of July, bookings to overseas sunny destinations have gone through the roof increasing as much as 200% on the same period last year.
Bookings to Malaysia have increased by 267% and Kuala Lumpur increased 250%.
Bookings to Bali have increased 200% and Thailand by 28%.
Honolulu has increased by 20%* and a similar trend is happening within Australia with bookings to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Cairns and Darwin increasing as much as 100% on the same period last year.
The most popular domestic destinations booked on travel.com.au include Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Cairns, Darwin, Townsville, Sunshine Coast and Hamilton Island.
Managing Director of travel.com.au Adam Johnson says, “With the recent cold snap, we’re finding that people simply aren’t coping and are really keen to just get away from it all, adding, I haven’t seen such a huge influx of people making travel plans to follow the sun in years.”
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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 
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026