Travel surge expected this winter as overseas holiday bookings accelerate

Aussies are heading overseas in huge numbers and travel booking company Webjet is expecting another travel surge this July holidays - so book early.

Webjet booking data reveals international holiday bookings are already up 10 per cent year on year for travel during the July school holidays.

The top 10 international destinations for the July break are:

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows Aussies are travelling overseas in numbers not seen since before the pandemic.

In February 2025, 923,360 short-term trips were recorded, an increase of 147,720 (19 per cent) compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.

The number of trips was 23.8 per cent higher than the pre-COVID level in February 2019.

New Zealand was the most popular destination country, accounting for 12 per cent of all resident returns, followed by Indonesia (11.6 per cent) and Japan (10.5).

Webjet said closer to home, Aussies are embracing winter travel with Cairns, Melbourne and Brisbane particularly popular for mid-year breaks, as well as Gold Coast and Sydney.

Webjet's top 10 locations for the July school holidays are:

East Coast Car Rentals CMO Ben Whitmore said many Australians are choosing to ditch expensive European trips in favour of domestic getaways, with rising exchange rates and global inflation making overseas travel less appealing.

"Where once, somewhere like Tasmania would have a fairly defined busy period, in summer, we're now seeing that demand continue well into autumn and beyond. We saw a similar pattern in North Queensland throughout summer, which has traditionally been quiet during the wet season.

"Australians are still prioritising holidays, but they're doing it smarter and closer to home."

NRMA's Weekly Fuel Report shows good news for road trippers, with petrol prices expected to fall in the short term.

While average regular unleaded prices peaked at 203.5 cents per litre on Thursday, May 1, prices are "now expected to fall to the mid 160s over the next 3-4 weeks".