Have you ever stopped to wonder what things made you the person – and traveller – you are today? We did, so we picked Australia’s brains to find out.
The Wot’s Your Journey? Report was a massive undertaking. We spoke to Aussies from all over the country, from all walks of life, and of all ages, to find out who they were, how they travelled, and why. And we have to say, you’re a pretty interesting bunch. Here’s a little of what we learned:
- You’re big kids. 61% of you have positive memories of childhood holidays, and 45% of you had a love of travel instilled in you by your parents.
- You’re diverse. According to 2016 Census data**, nearly half of you (49%) have at least one parent who was born overseas, or you were born overseas yourself. This was reflected in our research too and reminds us that Australians – and Australian travelers – are one of the most diverse groups in the world.
- You’re brave. 74% of you love diving headfirst into new environments and cultures, and 76% of you use holidays as an excuse to try things you’d never do at home.
- You’re introspective. 26% of you have travelled to overcome personal challenges or “find” yourselves, and two in three of you (67%) have visited your family’s country of origin to meet relatives and explore your own cultural identity.
- You’re passionate. 53% of you choose destinations that allow you to pursue your hobbies and interests. Food and nature are two of your favourite interests, inspiring 24% of you and 23% of you respectively.
- You’re big softies, especially when it comes to animals. 52% of you have at least one pet, and many of you feel guilty when you leave them to go on holiday. 25% of you bring back presents for them, 16% of you try to talk to your pet over Skype, and 15% of you have even smuggled a pet on holiday!
From this research, we discovered the eight key factors that most influence the people (and travellers) we are today: our childhoods; our passions, our ancestry, our work, our relationships, our need for self-discovery, our traditions, and our lives right now. These themes inspired us to collect exciting true travel stories and top holiday tips from some of our favourite Aussies (including a few we know you love too). You can find them here.
But the main thing we learned is you’re lots of fun. We loved reading all your fabulous holiday stories. From swimming through leech-filled waterholes to studying in Spain, from travelling solo around the world to road trips with your pets, you’ve sure had a lot of adventures. Thank you to everyone who shared theirs with us.
Want to find out more about Aussies and their holiday habits? Read the full Wot’s Your Journey? Report or take our fun Wot’s Your Journey? quiz to find out where you should travel next.
Read the full report
About Wotif’s Australian Travel Research
*Wotif’s Australian Travel Research
The Leading Edge were engaged by Wotif to conduct research into understanding Australian travellers. The study was conducted across August to September 2017 and consisted of two components: 1. Online Community of n=40 Australian travellers 2. Online Survey completed by a nationally representative sample of n=1,036 Australian travellers (who had all travelled and stayed in paid accommodation in the last two years on leisure holidays).
The survey was conducted online amongst members of a permission-based panel, between 23rd and 29th August 2017. After interviewing, data was weighted to the latest population estimates sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Data was weighted to National Representative proportions to reflect the age, gender and residential location of Australian travellers.
**2016 Census Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics:
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016, ‘Census of Population and Housing: Australia Revealed’ viewed 24 October 2017,
