Holiday Inn Express reveals insights on Aussie breakfast habits when travelling

• 78% of Australians say they spend more on food and drink when they travel
• 60% of Aussies say the #1 challenge they have when travelling is the expense to eat out all the time
• Two thirds of adults (66.2%) say that they are more irritable and grumpier when they are hungry
• 71% of survey respondents agree that they are more productive and focused when they start the day with breakfast

A new nationwide survey commissioned by Holiday Inn Express has revealed that when Australians travel, they spend more than twice than they usually would on breakfast. With cost of living an ever-present worry, the research has revealed the number one challenge faced by Australians when travelling is the expense of eating out all the time. In fact, 73% of Aussies are spending up to $20 per person, per day on breakfast alone when travelling. Australians are also attributing their emotional wellbeing to starting the day right, with 70% of Aussies agreeing breakfast ensures they are in a better mood for the rest of the day.

As part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts family, Holiday Inn Express is committed to providing guests with the best possible start to their day, which is why the brand's hot, fresh, free breakfast continues to be a much-loved hallmark of the Holiday Inn Express experience. The research was conducted to shed light on the financial and emotional impacts of over 1,000 Australians to better understand their breakfast habits while travelling, including spending behaviour and how breakfast could affect productivity, focus and mood.

It was also revealed that breakfast spending behaviour varied significantly for Australians when travelling compared to at home or at work. While the most common spend for Aussies travelling is $15-$20 per person, per day on breakfast (30.5%), most Aussies (45.7%) are spending less than $5 per person, per day on breakfast when at home or at work, and more than 1 in 5 (22%) spending no money at all.

While the expense of eating out ranked as the chief challenge among Aussies (60%) when travelling, respondents also cited difficulty finding good places nearby to eat (48%) and being unfamiliar with the local cuisine (30%) as top challenges to eating and drinking while travelling.

Proving the reality of 'hanger,' the research also showed that two-thirds (66%) of respondents agree they are more irritable and grumpier when they are hungry – and more than half (57%) noticed their friends or partner are, too. Interestingly, 70% agreed that eating breakfast ensured they were in a better mood for the rest of the day, with 71% agreeing they are more focused and productive. Even so, almost half of adults (48%) regularly skip breakfast at least once a week, with not feeling hungry and not having enough time to make breakfast ranking as the top two reasons to skip.

Dean Jones, Vice President, Commercial, IHG Hotels & Resorts Australasia, Pacific & Japan, said: “Uncovering the habits behind morning routine and spending is hugely empowering to ensure we are continually offering our guests the best possible start to their day. While 6 in 10 Australians say breakfast is key to starting their day right, we know it's not always that simple when travelling. It can be difficult to find spots nearby, you could be unfamiliar with local cuisine, or it's just too expensive. That's why Holiday Inn Express has really carved its niche in the market by removing the barriers to a productive morning and offering more of matters most – from free, high-quality breakfast to convenient Grab & Go options.”

Stephanie Atiase, Vice President, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Global Brand Head for Holiday Inn Express, said: "Offering complimentary breakfast is a brand hallmark and a key differentiator for the Holiday Inn Express brand, and along with providing great value, it is a major reason why guests choose to stay at Holiday Inn Express hotels globally – whether that be for business, leisure or even both. We know the morning is the keystone to a day's success, so whether it's a wholesome breakfast, good night's sleep or unlocking the best of the surrounds, we are continually working hard to create a frictionless experience."

IHG Hotels & Resorts passionately believes that guests will be cared for and have the freedom to be their true selves at any one of its 6000 hotels and 18 diverse brands – whatever that looks like. As part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts family, Holiday Inn Express has been proudly offering straightforward, uncompromising, and modern guest experiences since 1991.

Since launching more than 30 years ago, the promise of a fresh, hot breakfast included in the room rate has been a part of every Holiday Inn Express stay worldwide, with its signature Express Start breakfast offering busy guests a buffet of hot and cold breakfast options for optimal value.

With 10 open Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia and New Zealand, and over 3,000 worldwide, the Holiday Inn Express is a no-fuss basecamp for guests to rest, relax and recharge before making their next connection. Guests can start their day right by choosing from the range of offers and packages available here.

Research conducted in November 2022 by Pureprofile on behalf of IHG, on a sample of over 1000 working Australians.

More research statistics from Holiday Inn Express

• Almost half (48%) of Australians skip breakfast at least once a week with 26.6% skipping breakfast more than 3 days per week
• Over two-thirds (3%) of Aussies say they either spend no money or less than $5 on breakfast when at home.
• The top three things respondents said they needed to have the right start to their day were a good night's sleep (8%), breakfast (63.9%) and coffee or tea (60.6%)
• 6% of respondents agreed that eating breakfast ensured that they were in a good mood for the rest of the day
• 71% of Aussies said they were more focused and productive for the rest of the day when they ate breakfast
• Two-thirds (2%) of Aussies admitted that they were more irritable and grumpier when they were hungry while 64.5% agreed that they made unhealthier food choices when hungry
• Over three-quarters of Australians (77.9%) said they spent more on food and drink when they travelled
• Over half of respondents (52.4%) said they would eat at familiar fast food locations while travelling because they were unsure of where to eat
• 60% said it was expensive to eat out all the time while travelling
• Almost half (8%) found it difficult to find good places to eat and drink nearby while travelling
• Over a third (3%) said that without recommendations or extensive research, it was challenging to find good places to eat/drink

ENDS