Despite Australian bookings to visit Bali increasing over the past year, older travellers appear to have turned their backs on the island.
Australian tourists aged over 55 account for just 22 per cent of bookings to the Indonesian holiday destination, representing a massive 37 per cent decline in bookings from this group in 2023.
Overall visits to Bali are up 45 percent year-on-year, but the increase has been driven primarily by families, Weekly trips reported.
The ‘Island of the Gods’ is seeing a 71 percent increase in family visits this year.
And for those who think Europe is the best place to be this winter, think again.
Bali is Australia’s number one international destination to escape the colder months, accounting for almost a quarter of all international flights.
The increase in visitors is most noticeable in the months of July and August, with booking figures 95 percent higher than those in September and October.
Australians’ recent favourite destination, Japan, now accounts for just 2 per cent of all household bookings, according to new data from Webjet.
Bali (pictured) is Australia’s number one international destination and has seen a boom in winter bookings.
Older Australians have turned their backs on Bali, with flight bookings for over-55s down 37 per cent compared to last year (file image)
Bookings to Bali are also nearly 200 percent higher than flights booked to Thailand’s Ko Samui island and more than 150 percent higher than confirmed trips to Fiji.
And while convenience and short distance to Bali from Australia might be one reason families are drawn to the island, the current cost of living adjustment is likely a factor as well.
Currently, a round-trip flight with Jetstar to Bali for a week in August costs $705, and flights for the same dates to Tokyo cost $1,649.
However, when it comes to those over 55, the cost of living may have affected travel even more.
National Association of Older People of Australia Older people’s responses to rising costs of living The January 2024 report indicated that nearly 60 percent of those over 50 surveyed said travel was “much less affordable” now.
Total Australian visits to Bali are up 45 per cent year-on-year, but the increase has been driven mainly by families (pictured, a family in Bali).