Cautious holidaymakers are taking shorter trips, choosing cheaper options and even canceling long-distance overseas travel plans, as the economic crisis forces them to tighten their purse strings. Travel companies have monitored a spike in domestic travel and short-haul flights to regions including Asia and the Pacific, as domestic travelers seek to get the best value for money. Experts say travelers are being cautious and the current economic climate is forcing them to choose shorter breaks and evaluate how much they spend on accommodation.

A recent online survey by realholidays.com.au revealed the holiday plans of a third of Australians had been affected by the global crisis. Jamie Pride, spokesman for the website, said although holidaymakers were becoming more cautious about where they spend their money, the survey indicated people would “still travel locally, but may be inclined to take shorter breaks”.

Nigel Rodighiero from Travel Counselors said people were “changing their plans”. “They are still looking to go overseas but the hotel room type will be changed from a more luxurious, deluxe-type room to the more standard room, they are simplifying their trips, cutting out extra destinations to maximize time and money in one spot,” he said. “But even more so in the current financial climate, places like … Phuket, Koh Samui, Kuala Lumpur and Penang top the list.”

Angie Bohlmann, a spokeswoman for website lastminute.com.au, said Australians were rethinking their destinations, noting a rise in flights to Asia and the Pacific. “With the dollar recently reaching a five-year low, Aussies are getting smarter about ways to make their dollar stretch further …,” Domestic destinations also have become more popular, picking up 8 per cent on the website in the first two weeks of this month, she said. Lastminute.com.au has also reported a 38 per cent increase in trips to Fiji, almost a 20 per cent rise in Bali holidays, and a 32 per cent increase in flights to Phuket.

Judy Sickerdick, from Discovery Holiday Parks-Adelaide Beachfront at Semaphore Park, SA, said 75 per cent of the park’s clients were locals, attracted by the convenience of holidaying close to home. “They do it because it’s cheaper and convenient, they don’t have eight hours of flying or driving” to get to their destinations.

News by news.com.au