Press Release

Australians say they can't afford holidays even before interest rate rise - survey

July 28, 2006

More than half of Australians surveyed say they can't afford a holiday, even before next week's expected interest rate rise further bites into their budgets, a major poll on the issue has revealed. Financial pressure far outweighs issues such being too busy, fears about job security or not being allowed to take time-off for why Australians are not taking their holiday leave.

The survey, conducted by Australia's leading holiday destination website totaltravel.com over the last four weeks and involving more than 4000 respondents, asked: According to research, Australians aren't taking their annual holiday leave. Why aren't you taking yours?

Almost six out of every ten of those surveyed (2384 or 59%) said that couldn't afford to take their holiday leave.Of the rest, 19% (796) said they were too busy to take time off; 10% (433) were afraid their job wouldn't be there when they returned; and 5% (227) said their boss wouldn't let them take time off. The remaining 6% (252) sited other reasons.

Paul Fisher, spokesman for totaltravel.com - ranked the number one site for Australians seeking information about destinations - said the survey result was of great concern to the tourism sector especially with another interest rate rise tipped for next week.

"We knew that Australians weren't taking their holiday leave but it wasn't clear why until now," Mr Fisher said.

"No matter how clever the ad campaigns are, if Australians feel they can't afford to go on holidays you are not going to get them to take leave.

"If there is a rate rise next week, Australian tourism operators are going to be asking themselves "where the bloody hell have all the tourists gone?' for sometime yet."

totaltravel.com currently has up to 55,000 visitors a day and is now bigger than Lonely Planet, AAA Tourism and all the State Tourism Authority sites such as Tourism Qld for Australians seeking information about destinations.

Launched in 2002, totaltravel.com delivers both a travel guide and a place to find accommodation, activities, transport, restaurants and other visitor information.

Users can seek information about a destination and then be directed to a local business in the area.

The site now offers more than 300,000 pages with contact details for more than 100,000 Australian businesses.

ENDS

Media enquires:
Paul Fisher
Global Marketing Manager
totaltravel.com
Phone +61 (0)2 6680-8755
Mobile 0404 057 367