• Melbourne beats Sydney for ‘best city in Australia’
• ‘Queensland beach holiday’ our favourite experience of 2013
• Over 1,100 Australian travellers surveyed

Over 1,100 Australian travellers have participated in the Australian Traveller’s 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards survey, which has been published in the December edition of Australian Traveller magazine. In it were some surprising results:

 

…….MELBOURNE HAS WON ‘BEST CITY'

Melbourne, Victoria was voted Australia’s Best City

“You might say we’re swapping sunshine for sophistication,” says Australian Traveller editor Georgia Rickard. “In 2012, Sydney was voted ‘best city’, while Australia’s choice for ‘best winter holiday destination’ was Queensland. This year, both categories have been won by Melbourne.” Lastminute.com.au, which sponsored this year’s awards, also saw a reflection of this in their latest Travel + Lifestyle Report. “When Aussies were asked their preferred capital city they’d most like to visit, Melbourne emerged as the clear favourite with a huge 45 per cent of votes,” says Kirsty La Bruniy, lastminute.com.au’s Head of Marketing Communications.

 

…BUT SYDNEY NOW DOMINATES IN THE CULINARY STAKES

“Sydney has taken out the categories for both ‘best bar’ and ‘best restaurant’ – and almost all finalists in both those categories were Sydney-based,” she adds. “Considering that Melbourne has always been our culinary capital, that’s a big shift.”

 

.... AUSTRALIA’S TASTES ARE CHANGING

Daylesford, Victoria was voted Australia’s Best Town

“It was a surprise to see Daylesford come out on top as Australia’s best town – traditionally Australia has voted for a beachside destination such as Margaret River,” says Rickard. “To see us moving away from beach-based breaks is huge – and a reflection of the growth we’re seeing in food tourism.”

 

…WE STILL WANT CLASSIC BEACH HOLIDAYS

‘Queensland beach holiday’ was voted Australia’s best overall travel experience

“We’re certainly seeing a return to authentic, classic holidays – the kind we used to have, where you’d give up shoes for a fortnight and no one worried about Instagramming Christmas lunch,” says Rickard. “This is a reflection of our desire for those simpler times, back when life wasn’t so complicated.”

 

…THE KIMBERLEY IS OUR ULTIMATE DREAM DESTINATION

WA’s Kimberley region was voted Australia’s Ultimate Dream Destination

“The Kimberley is very much the It girl of Australian travel right now,” says Rickard. “As consumers, we’re very much after authentic, rustic and immersive experiences these days, rather than the ubiquitous ‘flop ‘n’ drop’ breaks where you’re sitting by a resort pool in an artificial environment.”

 

WINNERS OF THE 2013 READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

Best Travel Experience Queensland Beach Holiday

Best City Melbourne

Best Town Daylesford

Best Summer Holiday Noosa

Best Winter Holiday Melbourne

Most Romantic City Melbourne

Ultimate Dream Destination The Kimberley

Best Luxe Hotel Saffire Freycinet - Tasmania

Best Resort Qualia - Hamilton Island

Best Adventure Holiday Destination The Kimberley

Best Affordable Hotel Brand Mantra Group

Best B&B Margaret River Guest House

Best Guided Tour Experience Four-wheel-driving on Fraser Island

Best Bar Opera Bar - Sydney

Best Restaurant Quay Restaurant - Sydney

Best Airline Qantas

Best Regional Airline Regional Express

Best Campsite Big4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort

Best Train Journey The Ghan

Best Cruise Experience The Kimberley

 

This year’s awards were sponsored by lastminute.com.au. State-specific information (including more fascinating lastminute.com.au statistics) will be shared in state-specific releases.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Georgia Rickard

Editor

(02) 9698 7072

0403 257 476

qrickard@australiantraveller.com

 

Tobi Cornwell

Marketing Manager

(02) 9698 7072

0414 700 409
tcornwell@australiantraveller.com