Australian accommodation bookings made by international guests double in one year

New analysis of more than 115 million accommodation reservations from SiteMinder, reveals that Australian accommodation rooms being occupied by international travellers has doubled since last year.

Additionally, rooms are being booked further in advance and offer more stable prices than hotel rooms globally.

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The latest SiteMinder’s Hotel Booking Trends report analyses the largest and deepest set of hotel booking data in the world.

Key findings include: 

• International hotel arrivals doubled as a percentage of all hotel stays in Australia. Some 16 percent of hotel rooms were booked by international travellers, up from 8 percent last year, and 2 percent in 2021.

• Australian travellers are thinking further ahead with their travel plans, as the average lead time for a booking jumped to 37 days, up from 32 days in 2019.  

• The average daily rate of a hotel room in Australia increased by 4 percent over the previous year, despite rising by 11 percent globally.

• Australian travellers were more likely to travel all year round when compared to global counterparts, with peak periods less critical for revenue to hotels as a result. Australia recorded the smallest gap in the percentage of check-ins between its busiest month (December) and quietest (February).

• November 13, 2023, was the most popular day to make a hotel booking in Australia last year, ostensibly as people planned Christmas getaways. Christmas Day 2023 was the day the fewest hotel bookings were made.

According to Trent Innes, Chief Growth Officer at SiteMinder, the data demonstrates an unquestionable return to confidence in booking hotel rooms — a confidence that had wavered across the travel industry over the past few years. 

“It’s a brilliant time to book a stay in Australia. Travellers are taking full advantage of the range of booking options available to secure their stay and doing so further in advance, showing their keenness to get travel plans locked in nice and early.

“Australian room rates have increased by well below the global average, with travellers seeking year-round accommodation that defies the typical seasonal peaks seen in other countries. 

“For people travelling around Australia, whether they are international or domestic travellers, the urge to travel remains steadfast in spite of cost of living pressures, and hotels can best capitalise on this demand by offering dynamic pricing to suit local and seasonal trends, a range of optional add-ons, and flexible cancellation policies.”

In Australia, the Top 12 Hotel Booking Sources in 2023, based on total gross revenue made for all users of SiteMinder’s platform, were:

1.     Booking.com
2.     Expedia Group
3.     Hotel websites (direct bookings)
4.     Global distribution systems 
5.     Qantas Hotels
6.     Agoda 
7.     AOT Group
8.     Hotelbeds 
9.     Airbnb
10. Luxury Escapes 
11. Hostelworld Group
12. Flight Centre Travel Group

Notable in this list is Hostelworld, which has re-entered Australia’s Top 12 for the first time since 2020, as travellers keen to economise on their accommodation became more comfortable with staying in close quarters to other guests.

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