Press Room: Media Releases

BRISBANE , 20 December 2007 – More Australians are heading to the Gold Coast for Christmas this year than any other Australian destination, according to online accommodation website, Wotif.com (www.wotif.com).* 

While capital cities remained popular, taking out six of the top seven positions on the list, the Gold Coast managed to beat them all, recording more bookings for the nights of the 24^th and 25^th of December than any other of Wotif.com’s 500+ Australian regions.

Wotif.com’s Saskia Moon said it was a first for the South-East Queensland destination, with Sydney and Melbourne previously taking the top spot.

“The tradition of Christmas at the beach is very much alive with nearly half of Wotif.com’s top 20 destinations located on Australia’s coastline,” Saskia said.

In contrast, the data also shows that more Australians than ever before are looking to escape the usual Christmas heat, with two Tasmanian destinations making it into the top ten list.

Last year neither Hobart nor Launceston made the top 10 list.

Commenting on the changes in the year to year results, Saskia said it was likely that the internet was a contributing factor.

“Australians are becoming more savvy when it comes to booking accommodation,” she said.

“Rather than automatically re-booking the same accommodation for next year, many are waiting to see which hotels and what regions are offering the best value, and booking much closer to the date of travel.”

Saskia said this theory was further supported by the number of people visiting Wotif.com to check out Christmas accommodation options.

“Our statistics show that there are still a lot of people exploring accommodation alternatives for Christmas. So if you haven’t booked yet, and you see a deal which suits your budget, I’d recommend that you book it straight away,” she said.

Top 20 Destinations for Christmas 2007

1. Gold Coast (QLD)
2. Sydney (NSW)
3. Melbourne (VIC)
4. Brisbane (QLD)
5. Hobart (TAS)
6. Perth (WA)
7. Adelaide (SA)
8. Launceston & Tamar Valley (TAS)
9. Cairns (QLD)
10. Coffs Harbour (NSW)
11. Newcastle (NSW)
12. Port Macquarie (NSW)
13. Noosa (QLD)
14. Canberra (ACT)
15. Townsville (QLD)
16. Glenelg (SA)
17. Hunter Wine Country (NSW)
18. Albury (NSW)
19. Hervey Bay (QLD)
20. Geelong (VIC)

Wotif you haven’t booked your Christmas accommodation yet?

It’s not too late to find good value accommodation, with some properties still offering up to 75% off the regular rack rate over Christmas.

“If you’re prepared to be flexible about where you stay, you can still snag yourself a good deal,” Saskia said.

Four and five Star CBD hotels offered exceptional value as hotels, usually occupied by business travellers, looked to leisure travellers to fill their rooms during this non-peak season.

And while Christmas was the busiest time of year for most of Australia’s beach-sides resorts, people could still find a good deal.

“Whether it be due to a late cancellation, or lower bookings than expected, there are still properties around Australia discounting their rates to fill their empty rooms over the Christmas holiday,” she said.

Saskia said the key was to be flexible.

“If you’re favourite destination is fully booked try look at neighbouring regions. For example check out Lennox Head and Ballina if you can’t find anything that suits you in Byron Bay.”

- Ends -

Notes to editor

* Destinations surveyed from bookings made between 24 and 26 December on Wotif.com up until 13^th December 2007