Aussie city named top travel destination
Just one Australian city has been named in the world’s most searched destinations – and it’s probably not the one you’d expect.
If you’re looking to unwind, recharge and disconnect in the new year, it’s time to start planning. According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness travel is expected to be one of the top travel trends for 2024, making it a great option for those aiming to unplug. Gabe Saglie, senior editor at Travelzoo, joins us with more.
Data from Airbnb has revealed what cities are on the top of people’s travel lists for the new year, with Melbourne the only Australian destination making the global top 24.
If you’re planning a trip to Japan in 2024 just know you aren’t the only one, with searches for the East Asian nation more than tripling compared to this time last year.
Airbnb has released the top destinations its customers are searching for.
Melbourne is the only Australian city to place on the global list. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw
France is at the front of travellers minds, with searches for homes in Paris during the Olympics increasing by more than seven times compared to the year prior, as is Brazil, with searches for homes in Rio de Janeiro during the Carnival weekend up 136 per cent.
Other notable inclusions to the list are the Canary Islands, multiple Italian cities, Mexico City and Dallas, Texas.
However, for Australians, there’s almost nowhere else we want to go besides Japan, with Japanese cities making up eight of the top 10 destinations.
The only exceptions were Taiwan and Hong Kong with the Tokyo suburbs of Taito, Shibuya and Shinjuku topping the list of places where Australians want to stay.
While the world may want to come to Melbourne, it’s not the number one place in the country that Australians want to visit, with the Queensland city of Rockhampton taking the title followed by Richmond and East Melbourne.
If you’re planning a trip to Japan in 2024, expect to see a lot of Aussies there. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift
Tokyo, Osaka, Niigata and Nagano are some of the most looked at cities in Japan.
Sydney suburbs only appear at rank five or lower in the top 10 list, with travellers seemingly wanting to avoid the city and opt for places like Sydney Olympic Park, Moore Park or Parramatta, where major events are often held.
Find the full list of top global destinations below:
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Warsaw, Poland
- Osaka, Japan
- Kyoto, Japan
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Marrakesh, Morocco
- Salvador, Brazil
- Paris, France
- Dusseldorf, Germany
- Puerto del Carmen, Canary Islands, Spain
- Melbourne, Australia
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Lille, France
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Tokyo, Japan
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
- Milan, Italy
- Rome, Italy
- Maceió, Brazil
- Dallas, Texas
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Colorado Springs, United States
- Nassau, The Bahamas