Australia is witnessing a remarkable surge in luxury travel, as highlighted by Luxury Escapes’ inaugural travel awards. This recognition arrives amid a record travel boom, with Australians returning from nearly two million overseas trips in July 2024—a 10.4% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Luxury Escapes engaged over 12,000 members to gather insights on their preferred luxury holiday destinations and experiences, resulting in the creation of the 2024 LuxList. The awards spotlight various categories, showcasing:
Most Loved Family-Friendly Escape: Disney Cruise Line
Most Inclusive Escape: Intercontinental Hayman Island
Top Bucket List Experience: Northern Lights in Finland and Norway
Preferred Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Favored Destination: Maldives
Most Cherished Luxury Escape: Grand Hyatt Bali
Adam Schwab, co-founder and CEO of Luxury Escapes, emphasized that the LuxList awards highlight exceptional travel experiences and luxurious locales that resonate with members. “More than half of the respondents selected the Northern Lights in Finland and Norway as their ultimate bucket-list destination, while over 30% favored the Maldives as their most beloved location,” Schwab noted. He further pointed out that Bali remains a top choice, with the Grand Hyatt Bali named the most loved luxury escape, aligning with recent travel data that positions Indonesia as the leading outbound destination for Australian travelers in 2024.
In October, the UK travel publication Conde Nast Traveller announced its 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, recognizing Sydney as the world’s best city to visit. Among the highlights, Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island was ranked as the 29th best hotel globally, making it the only Australian establishment to feature in the top 50. The Fullerton Hotel Sydney earned the title of best hotel in Australasia, while Park Hyatt Sydney, Halcyon House in Cabarita Beach, Osborn House in Bundanoon, and The Langham Melbourne rounded out the top five.
The Australian travel industry is poised for significant growth, with an anticipated contribution of $265 billion to the national economy in 2024, accounting for about 10% of Australia’s GDP, as reported by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The tourism sector has already seen a nearly 10% increase in jobs from the previous year, reaching 1.42 million—approximately 10% of the national workforce. Looking ahead, the WTTC projects that the sector will support over two million jobs in the next decade, representing 12% of total employment in Australia.
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