Hiking, fishing and skiing revealed as favourite Australian sporting holidays

BRISBANE, Australia, Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- More than a third of Australians have gone on a sporting or adventure holiday in the past 12 months and age doesn't seem to limit desire with close to 20 per cent aged between 68 and 77-years-old.

It seems Australians don't want to just relax on holiday, with a new survey showing 80 per cent of respondents indicating they've holidayed to either hike, fish, or ski.

Sporting-led holidays located within Australia are also the go-to, as 2024 data by Budget Direct Travel Insurance has shown that 64 per cent of Aussies booked their holiday domestically, with the next popular choice being our neighbours, New Zealand.

When discussing key motivators for going on a sporting-led holiday, 55 per cent of respondents said they wanted to indulge their passions, while 44 per cent wanted to challenge their skills.

"Australians are born adventurers, and there's no better way to embrace that spirit than with an active holiday in our own backyard," a Budget Direct spokesperson said.

"Whether it's hiking through stunning national parks, fishing along pristine coastlines, or exploring the incredible ski fields down south, Aussies love combining their passions with the chance to discover the diverse landscapes Australia has to offer."

A sporting-led holiday calls for no rest, with half of those surveyed saying they were comfortable with a physically challenging holiday. Only seven per cent were comfortable with a physically 'tough' holiday, with 42 per cent admitting a mildly physically challenging holiday was ideal.

As for who we holiday with, most travelled with family on their sporting-led holiday (46 per cent), with almost a quarter going with fellow sport/training friends.

Travelling alone was more popular than travelling with strangers, with 15 per cent holidaying by themselves compared to 11 per cent with a tour guide. 

When it came to what factors are most important when choosing an adventure-led holiday, Queenslanders valued the location the most (80 percent of respondents) whereas Victorians were the most cost-effective, coming in first for cost being the most important factor when choosing a sporting-led holiday (75 per cent).

While mostly taking local sport-led holidays, Australians are still keen to book their next, with 41 per cent of respondents planning their next adventure holiday within the year, and 32 per cent in the next two years. 

Almost 70 per cent had booked their holiday either in advance completely, or at least 75% of the trip. Western Australian respondents were the most prepared for their sporting-led holiday, with 47 per cent planning the trip completely in advance.

Victorians were the least prepared with five per cent preplanning none of their trip before jetting off for their adventure holiday.

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