Leading travel app Wotif announces the winners of the 2023 Aussie Town of the Year Awards with Bundaberg snapping up second place as trends show Aussie travellers are carving out their own long weekends on the calendar, opting for shorter, more frequent domestic trips.
The crown returns to New South Wales, as Albury is named number 1, and New Norfolk, Tasmania rounds out the top 3. Now in its sixth year, the Wotif Aussie Town of the Year Awards recognise trending Aussie destinations for the year ahead and is based on a Wotif data index that looks at accommodation affordability, quality, and traveller satisfaction**.
“The naming of the Bundaberg region in the top 10 of Wotif’s Aussie town of the year for 2023 is certainly a well-deserved tribute for a region that works passionately to present its reef, culinary and nature-based experiences along with warm hospitality from locals in the most refreshing way” says Bundaberg Tourism CEO Katherine Reid.
“With the first two islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Lady Musgrave and Lady Elliot on our doorstep, our growing culinary scene with produce being grown, brewed, distilled, and caught all year-round, as well as being home to the largest concentration of nesting Loggerhead turtles in the South Pacific, Bundaberg, on the Southern Great Barrier Reef is a destination that is welcoming, sustainably conscious and a great place for a holiday!”
Katherine adds “Bundaberg is where Great Begins! All of us here across the Bundaberg region understand why Bundaberg made it into the top 10 finalists for WOTIFs Aussie Town of the Year Award….we love where we live, and love sharing it with holidaymakers too! “
The awards come as 46% of Aussies plan to travel in April to take advantage of the public and school holidays*. Three-day-stays prove to be the new sweet spot for domestic holidays, with demand on Wotif growing by more than 30% in 2022, compared to 2021. Looking to the year ahead, almost half of Aussies (49%) plan to take short trips of up to 3 nights*, with many wanting to explore their own state. 44% of Aussies simply prefer short weekend trips, while another 44% are making this decision for financial reasons, as the rising cost of living impedes household budgets*.
“By all accounts, Aussies remain committed to travelling locally in 2023,” says Wotif Managing Director, Daniel Finch.
“While cost considerations are top of mind for everyone this year, it’s clear travellers are not deterred and instead are prioritising accessible, experience-rich getaways. We know 29% of Aussies are open to travelling to new destinations this year to keep costs down*, and we hope by spotlighting these deserving destinations, all of which are extremely accessible, the awards inspire Aussies to explore and connect with regional destinations beyond the typical tried and tested.”
So you can join us in sharing this exciting recognition loud and proud, our team has created a range of assets for you to download and share on your socials! Available to download here.
2023 Wotif Aussie Town of the Year Award winners:
- Albury, NSW
- Bundaberg, QLD
- New Norfolk, TAS
- Port Lincoln, SA
- Ballarat, VIC
- Merimbula, NSW
- Toowoomba, QLD
- Dunsborough, WA
- Orange, NSW
- Echuca, VIC
To read more and see the latest travel deals from this year’s winning destinations, head to www.wotif.com/aussieawards.
About Wotif
Wotif… it’s Aussie for Travel. Wotif offers travellers access to accommodation, flights, packages, activities and car hire both locally and overseas, with verified accommodation reviews from almost two million Australian and New Zealand travellers.
*About the research:
Wotif research commissioned in collaboration with YouGov. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1024 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 29 – 22 February 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Australian adults (aged 18+).
**About the 2023 Wotif Aussie Town of the Year Award index:
- Trending traveller interest: Based on accommodation searches on Wotif.com in 2022, compared to 2021
- Affordability: Based on the average daily rate for accommodation demand on Wotif.com from January to September 2022
- Accommodation: Based on accommodation quality and quantity on Wotif.com in 2022
- Reviews: Based on the average traveller review rating on Wotif.com for each destination in 2022
For media information please contact:
Ellie Tonkin
Marketing Manager, Bundaberg Tourism
0400 432 366
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
