Low cost explosion fuels sports travel

Flights by low-cost airlines are driving the growth in travel to sports events, says the Accommodation Association of Australia.

"In recent years, the accommodation industry has seen more Australians travel interstate to watch major sporting events such as Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) finals, to watch family members participate in sport or participate in sport themselves, particularly major marathons," said the CEO of the Accommodation Association, Richard Munro.

This weekend is shaping up as a strong trading period for accommodation businesses in Melbourne and Sydney – and in places in between – on the back of interstate sporting teams playing in the AFL and NRL grand finals.

Thousands of Sydney fans are expected to travel to Melbourne to cheer for the Swans in Saturday’s AFL grand final, while in the NRL, supporters of the Melbourne Storm are hastily making plans to be in Sydney for Sunday’s NRL grand final.

"The advent of low-cost airlines which has created more competition in the aviation sector and therefore, cheaper tickets means more Australians are able to afford air travel than ever before.

"The fact that Sydney is in the AFL grand final and Melbourne is in the NRL grand final is terrific for the accommodation industry.

"It all adds up to our industry – across many different parts of south-eastern Australia – seeing benefits from this year’s footy finals," said Munro.