By Craig Platt
The economic downturn has not dampened Australians plans to escape this Easter, with airlines and travel sites reporting that advance bookings are on par with, and in some cases higher than, last year's figures.
Despite predictions Australians would resort to domestic travel in the current economic climate, short international trips are proving popular for the Easter break.
Virgin Blue spokeswoman Amanda Bolger said the airline was experiencing the same level of bookings as last year, with flights to Bali particularly strong. She said that while the Sushine Coast and Gold Coast continued to be popular, Hobart was also proving to be a favourite for the Easter holidays.
Qantas and Jetstar also reported strong bookings for the Easter break.
The trend towards short trips and late bookings was confirmed by online travel booking sites.
Travel.com.au general manager Lisa Ferrari said its bookings for Easter were up 25 per cent on the same time last year. The site had noticed a particular spike in bookings for Bali, but also New Zealand and Fiji.
Ferrari attributed the growth in Easter bookings to a combination of factors, including the Government's stimulus package, lower interest rates and petrol prices, increased competition and travel products marketed specifically to the Australian market.
Angie Bohlmann of lastminute.com.au said bookings in February had increased 24 per cent compared with the same time last year and Australians were booking trips both internationally and domestically for Easter, with Los Angeles, London and Bali among the top destinations. Wotif.com's general manager Megan Magill said bookings were on par with the same time last year.
The global downturn in tourism has resulted in many airlines, hotels and tour operators offering special deals, allowing those willing to travel the opportunity to enjoy some the cheapest holidays in years. Air fare wars on the trans-Tasman and trans-Pacific routes have seen prices plummet, with new players like V Australia and Delta challenging Qantas's dominance on flights to US.
Budget carrier AirAsia X has also entered the fray, launching no-frills flights on the `kangaroo route' from Australia to London.
In Victoria's bushfire-affected areas, fingers are crossed for a busy Easter period. Yarra Valley and the Dandenongs Marketing CEO Jennifer Hutchison said that bookings were beginning to increase as people began to understand that the region was open for business.
"We're hoping that people will be heading a little closer to home over the weekend," she said.
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