Skyscanner Reveals Top Destinations & Traveller Trends For Australians In 2021

- Abrolhos Islands namedbest destination foroff-the-grid,under-the-radar travel in 2021

- Domestic travel is booming as Skyscanner reveals flight searches reached 2019 levels forthefirst time sincethepandemicbegan in December

- Travel experts say there are few placeswithmoreunique landscapes &fascinating wildlifethan theWA's Coral Coastregion,includingKalbarriNational Park& Hutt Lagoon (Pink lake)

SYDNEY,Dec. 16,2020 -- Skyscanner,one of the world's leading travel companies,hasnamed the Abrolhos Islands National Park among its best destinations for 2021 foroff-the-grid,under-the-radar travel.

With access to a unique set of data and insights,Skyscanner's2021 Top Destinations& Travel Trendslistwascurated using extensive traveller data and insights from expert travel commentators,includingpredictions on the soon-to-be trending destinations.

Perth is currently the top trending destination for travel in the new year onskyscanner.com.au,with searches increasing39%week on week. Interest in car hire hasalsoincreased(48%)over the pasttwo weekssince state borders began to ease.

Travel expertspredict'Fly & Drive' tripsfrom Perthtodiscoverthe Coral Coast are tippedto be asought-afterholidayforearly2021with unique destinations like the Abrolhos Islands catchingtravellers'attention.1

Skyscanner's list also features Japan,South Korea and Greece as some of the international destinations expected to bounce back in popularity for Australian travellers,as soon as it's safe and possible to travel there,based on flight price analysis as well as recovery rates.

Paul Whiteway,Senior Director for APACat Skyscanner comments:

"A mid-ocean archipelago might seem to be taking social distancing to a new extreme,but theAbrolhosislandsare an excellent destination fortravellerslooking foran undiscovered,off-the-gridtravelexperience.With international travelisstill off the cards for Australians,manytravellers are looking to scratch that overseas travel itchand discover newspots closer tohome. As aresult,we've seen domestic flights searches boom as Australiansbegin to discover their own country.While bucket lists have been reordered to prioritise spotslikeUluru,andthe Great Barrier Reef,there are plenty of less famous destinations that are just asbucket listworthy.Skyscanner hopesthat travellerswillbeinspired to start thinking aboutfuture journeys and will be reminded of why we love to travel."

Skyscannersaidthatat the beginning of December,for the first time since the pandemic began,Australian flight searches reached pre-pandemic 2019 levels.And with recent news of the vaccine turning many Australiantraveller'shopes to international travel for next year,Skyscanner witnessed a32%increase in international searches for 2021 travel from April.2

Skyscanner also surveyed travellers to find outabouttheir aspirationsfor travel in 2021.When asked what type of trip theywere planning to takeover half(54%) saidthey hopeto takea long-haul tripastheir mainholiday in 2021:

49% said they were planning to spend more money on their next overseas trip than they did before the pandemic.

36% of travellers said being reunited with family and friends was the main reason for travelling again.

Skyscanner's Top 2021 Travel Trends & Destinations are:

Zooming out – As the world looks to embrace a world beyond the screen,these notification- free nature spots provide the ultimate escape - Atacama Desert Chile,Coral Coast Australia,Scottish Highlands.

Sporting Heroes – Japan,South Africa - Almost a year of empty stadiums has led the world to crave the buzz of stadia,couple that with two of the world's biggest destinations hosting major sporting occasions those considering an atmospheric adventure will look to the land of the rising sun for an excursion of Olympic proportions.

Recovery Bubbles' - South Korea,Taiwan,Vietnam - Locations that responded quickly to the virus,maintaining domestic travel ensures their tourism infrastructure thrives,South Korea's once up and coming international travel scene is expected to bounce back with aplomb.

Greece is the word - Whitewashed vistas with deep blue Aegean waters flooded most social media feeds in 2020,Greece firmly placed itself top of almost everyone's travel wish lists.

Swell times ahead - Surfing cruises its way into the Olympics for the first time ever in 2021,with the world embracing outdoor pursuits of the socially distanced variety,California tops the list for swapping sofa surfing for the waves!

Don't forget the classics - 2020 highlighted the resilient popularity of some mainstay destinations that are likely to bounce back the moment their fans can return – New York & The Balearics top the charts.

WFP: Working from Paradise - There's no question the 2020 office looked a little different this but The Maldives,The Caribbean & Mexico look set to host the ultimate 2021 office upgrade.

Regenerative Travel - As many consider how their return to travel impacts those communities and ecosystems that rely on travellers Costa Rica,Jamaica & The Azores are leading the way when it comes to conscious travel.

Notes to Editors

Searches on skyscanner.com.au for flights and carhirebetween 21/11/20 - 12/12/20 for travel from January 2021.

All searches for economy,return flights on skyscanner.com.au between 09/11/20 - 23/11/20 or travel from April 2021.

Skyscanner survey of Australian travellers 23/11/20 (527)

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