Corporate Traveller Reports 42% YoY Rise in Easter Holiday Bookings

• Holiday bookings by business travellers projected to increase 42% this Easter
• Brisbane has surged ahead as top domestic destination, with 50% more bookings than Sydney and 46% more than Melbourne
• 47% of holidayers will fly out on Wednesday 27 March

Holiday booking volumes among business travellers is expected to be 42 per cent higher this Easter than last Easter, with almost half (47%) of travellers taking off on the Wednesday before Easter and more than a third (37%) starting their holidays on the Thursday. The growth in bookings and trend towards earlier departures highlight an increased appetite for bleisure travel and an increased confidence in travel overall.

The forecast comes from Corporate Traveller, the flagship SME division of Flight Centre Travel Group, which compared flight and hotel bookings from Wednesday 27 to Easter Sunday 30 March to Wednesday 5 to Easter Sunday 9 April in 2023. Between the two time periods, bookings have already grown 29 per cent this year, with Corporate Traveller forecasting a total increase of 42 per cent by 27 March.

The Easter long weekend is arguably the busiest travel period after Christmas. Australians are expected to spend $9.6 billion on domestic and international travel this Easter, a $500 million increase in travel spend during Easter last year.[1] This comes as aviation firefighters announce a postponement to industrial action that was threatening chaos at airports over the Easter break.[2]

Corporate Traveller’s analysis of flight bookings found that 47 per cent of bookings over the five-day period this Easter were made for Wednesday, 27 March – two days before the start of the Easter long weekend. Bookings for Thursday, 28 March, were also high (at 37%), before a sharp decline on Good Friday (8% of bookings) through to Easter Sunday.

Brisbane tops Easter destinations in 2024

This year, Brisbane is surpassing Sydney and Melbourne as the top destination this Easter, with 46 per cent more travellers visiting there than Melbourne, and 50 per cent more than Sydney. In 2023, Sydney was the most popular Easter destination, with Brisbane and Melbourne in equal second.

Not only are almost half of business travellers starting their holiday on Wednesday, they are also preferring Queensland’s capital city over nearby coastal destinations. These findings point to potential bleisure trend this year. Brisbane’s proximity to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast – just an hour away – means professionals can easily switch from work mode to enjoying leisure activities with family, including world class beaches and theme parks, or simply remain in the city to enjoy all Brisbane has to offer.

New Zealand cities dominate international Easter destinations

Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington have emerged as the top international destinations, showing a clear preference for shorter international trips on the long weekend. New Zealand’s proximity to Australia makes it an ideal destination for maximising the limited time available on a long weekend by reducing time spent in the air and avoiding jetlag associated with destinations further afield.

The 2023 Easter long weekend saw longer-haul destinations appearing in the top three, with London was the third most popular spot behind Auckland and Singapore.

ENDS

About Corporate Traveller

Corporate Traveller is an award-winning business travel management and solutions provider for SMEs, operating in six global markets. Established in 1993 as Flight Centre Travel Group’s first corporate brand, Corporate Traveller has offered its personalised service, expert tailored advice, dedicated travel consultants, and advanced booking technology to more than 6500 Australian business customers. Offering an all-in-one innovative booking platform with the support of a personal travel consultant, Corporate Traveller makes travel simpler, faster, and easier for businesses. With a wide range of solutions available, Corporate Traveller can cater for simple requirements through to the most complex SME business travel management needs. For more information or to book a business consultation, visit corporatetraveller.com.au

[1] Easter holiday spending up amid big overseas spend | Australian Retailers Association

[2] Aviation rescue firefighters will not strike over Easter – Australian Aviation