Want to know the hottest destinations and trends in the Australian travel scene right now? We asked a team of experts for their picks for 2014.
Winsor Dobbin, Wine, Food & Travel Journalist
Trends I see for 2014 include a continuation of the mini vacation - people taking 3-4-day breaks to domestic locations. These will largely comprise city breaks and visits to food and wine regions like Tasmania, Margaret River and Orange in New South Wales. I see a continued trend towards people opting for unique, small, personalised accommodation rather than chain hotels but I see them being more demanding when it comes to value. Accommodation providers will need to be able to supply quality meals as well as a comfortable room. I expect theme staycations to be popular whether based around art (say MONA and TMAG in Hobart) or culture (ballet, opera, rock concerts etc) and I expect more and more stays to be booked at the last-minute.
Craig Tansley, Freelance Travel Journalist
I think 2014 will be about far less flashy luxury. Wilderness retreats and eco-lodges will continue to increase in popularity, particularly with even more emphasis on the environment in the wake of more global catastrophes and the Government’s continued reluctance to rule in favour of climate change legislation. Glamping will continue to grow, but so too will properties that really impact lightly on their surroundings, and make vacationers feel just like they’re living on the beach… or in the bush.
Australians will continue the trend towards seeing their own country as we saw so clearly in 2013. But once the hot spots have been seen by this re-emerging brigade of domestic tourists, interest will spread out across lesser known regional areas – especially in areas of regional Victoria and far north NSW. Port Douglas, Byron Bay and other obvious spots will continue to boom with domestic numbers though, back up to levels we were seeing before the GFC.
Angela Saurine, Freelance Writer
I would say Bruny Island in Tasmania would be one of the hot destinations for 2014. There are two fantastic new tours there. The Bruny Island Long Weekend includes hiking, gourmet food and wine and safari-style accommodation. Penicott Wilderness Journeys also has a divine Seafood Seduction tour in which your guide collects fresh oysters, abalone and crayfish before preparing it on the boat to eat. Heaven.
Donna Kramer, Escape Family Holiday Writer – News Limited
Last year my family of six - the News Ltd Escape Family- took 15 trips around Australia where we experienced the best this country has to offer. Our top five family friendly activities and destinations to put on your to-do list for 2014 include the Otway Fly Tree Top Adventures in Weeaproinah Victoria, for an unforgettable experience. In Tasmania, we loved the Port Arthur Ghost Tours and the Bay of Fires region. In Queensland, Mon Repos Beach in Bundaberg is the largest turtle rookery in the South Pacific and well worth a visit. Lady Elliot Island for snorkelling, swimming or diving next to turtles and manta rays above the beautiful corals of the Great Barrier Reef. Read Donna’s full story here.
Keira McIntosh, Freelance Food & Drink Writer
For city dwelling food and drink lovers, destinations that offer an immersive experience combining growers, producers, restaurants and wine are going to continue in popularity. Destinations like Beechworth, Yarra Valley, McLaren Vale, Derwent Valley and the Grampians or the Granite Belt, where time slows down and you have the opportunity to really savour the food and wine being produced locally. Slow pace and slow food that’s a salve to the hectic everyday grind. Chef Dan Hunter’s new restaurant and accommodation, Brae at Birregurra in the Otways will be one to watch, as well as cooking schools like The Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania.
Start the new year planning your next break and browse our unique collection of holiday houses and boutique hotels at alluxia.com
Photos: MONA, Spicers Canopy, Bruny Island, Bay of Fires, Yarra Valley
