The US has overtaken New Zealand as the preferred destination for Australian holidaymakers, according to new data from Roy Morgan.
The research firm revealed that the proportion of Australians eyeing a holiday in the US has grown by more than a quarter over the last five years, up from 10.4% in December 2007 to 14.1% in December 2012.
Jane Ianniello, Roy Morgan international director of tourism, travel and leisure, attributed the growing popularity of the US to its perception as a more affordable destination due to the strong Australian dollar and cheaper airfares.
Former favourite New Zealand slipped into second place, down from a high of 15.1% prior to the Christchurch earthquake, to now sit at 12.7% – the same level it stood at five years ago.
"The widespread media coverage of the Christchurch earthquake in late February 2011, followed by the June 2011 quake, has caused the ‘Shaky Isles' of New Zealand to lose favour as a holiday destination," Ianniello said, adding the popularity of both the north and south island had been affected.
Meanwhile, England is in third place, with its popularity dipping slightly from 12.6% in August 2011 to 12.3% in December, perhaps partly the result of the London riots, the research firm suggested.
France grew in popularity, with 8.7% of Aussies picking it as their preferred holiday spot, up from 7.4% in December 2007, while Italy remained relatively steady at 7.9%.
