Global Expedia study reveals the travel habits of 19 countries

A new study from Expedia, the world's largest online travel company and operator of the Expedia.com.au™ site in Australia, shows Australians take their holidays very seriously, often booking their trips at least three months before departure and staying for an average of over 16 days per trip, the longest duration of all countries in the study. They also book four-star accommodation properties at a higher rate than most other nationalities.

The latest Expedia Travel Bookings Report*, based on search and booking data across 19 Expedia sites worldwide, provides a fascinating insight into the travel habits and profiles of different nationalities and how they book their trips.

Louise Crompton of Expedia.com.au says, "This study proves to us that Australians are serious travellers and they are willing to invest considerable time and thought into creating their trips. That said, where you book matters, with an online travel company like Expedia offering travellers more choice and value for money through an easy-to-use one-stop-shop website. "

Holiday 'rush hours'
The start of the working week is 'rush hour' for travel research and booking, with around one third of Australians logging on every Monday and Tuesday, particularly after lunchtime and peaking between 4pm and 5pm, and in the evening between 8pm and 9pm. Interestingly, Australians are less likely than the rest of the world to log on over the weekends, with Saturday being the quietest day for booking activity on Expedia.com.au.

Not surprisingly, the majority of trips booked are for travel over the Christmas and Easter holiday periods, while holidays themselves inspire future travel, with the pre- and post-Easter period in March/April being the busiest time to book travel.

Precise planners
Compared to the rest of the world, Australians typically book their travel well in advance of their departure. More than half of Australians book their flights and hotels at least a month out, with around a fifth booking hotels and flights more than three months in advance. Italians are the most likely to book last-minute flights, and Americans are the most likely to book hotels less than six days before they travel.

Jet setters
When Aussies travel, they travel in style. According to the Expedia Travel Bookings Report, in comparison with the rest of the world, the Expedia.com.au site recorded the greatest proportion of four-star hotel transactions and one of the highest hotel spend per country. The North American markets such as the US and Mexico were the least likely to book hotels with ratings over four stars.

Aussie holiday hotspots
In spite of the strong performance of the Australian Dollar against the Euro and Pound Sterling in recent months, only one European city - London - made the top 10 most popular international travel destinations for Australians.

However, Australians are certainly taking advantage of the favourable US Dollar exchange rate with renowned US destinations such as Las Vegas, New York and San Francisco making up half of Australia's top 10 favourite international travel destinations.