Over four million Aussies are planning to get away this Easter, spending $7.1 billion on holidays, and an additional $1.5 billion on food and chocolate, as the country enjoys a rare period of open borders, increased savings, and improved retail conditions.
Research released today by the Australian Retailers Association and Roy Morgan reveals that most of this spending will come from the 35-49 age group, who’ll spend an average of $2,000 on their Easter holidays, totalling $2.6 billion overall.
73 per cent of Australians say they plan on buying Easter food, each average an average of $100, with those in NSW set to spend the bulk of this: close to $500 million, with an average spend of $104. Victorians will spend $400 million of food, with an average spend of $100.
78 per cent of Australians are set to spend the same or more than they did on these items compared to last year.
“Australians have had their travel restricted through the pandemic,” ARA CEO Paul Zahra says, “but with the borders opened and safety protocols relaxed, people will be taking advantage of the Easter long weekend, getting away and spending $7.1 billion on their trips.
“This is a significant boost for tourism operators and local businesses who’ve been doing it tough these past two years.
“This is the first holiday period in two years that many people will take full advantage of the time off and get away with family and friends, which is great to see. Travel plans were discarded in 2020 and 2021 due to the various snap lockdowns, and last Christmas was disrupted by Omicron.
“With minimal COVID restrictions in place and Australia’s high vaccination rate providing safety and confidence, people are now starting to go back to more regular holiday and social activities.”
The survey was conducted with an Australian-wide cross-section of 2,184 Australians aged 18+ between Friday March 11 – Wednesday March 16, 2022.
