Australians head to the European sun with both Croatia and Portugal enjoying top new destination status

Australians head to the European sun with both Croatia and Portugal enjoying top new destination status
Edited by Travel Weekly


Almost half a million Australians have headed north to find the European sun and escape winter with both Croatia and Portugal enjoying a focus as top new destinations throughout June, July and August.

This year’s top winter destinations for Australians in order of popularity, according to Emirates, are the UK, Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark. Croatia has enjoyed a 13 per cent boost in bookings, while Portugal also has experienced an 8 per cent increase in Emirates passenger bookings compared to the same period last year.

Solo travellers (40 per cent), couples (35 per cent) and families (14 per cent) lead the way when it comes to booking on Emirates. Italy and Greece remained the top pick for romantic getaways, with couples responsible for 43 per cent of bookings to these destinations.

Meanwhile, families favoured a more diverse mix of destinations visiting Italy, Greece, Ireland and France for their European adventures. Emirates has seen leisure travellers take trips of 15 days or longer while business travellers opt for short, one-week journeys.

“Australians continue to have a big appetite for travel and exploration, and we’ve seen that firsthand with nearly 440,000 travellers choosing to fly Emirates this winter alone,” Emirates’ divisional vice president Australasia, Barry Brown, said. “The desire to swap Australian winter for those iconic European summers is stronger than ever.

Emirates currently operates 63 weekly services from Sydney, Melbourne Brisbane and Perth. Recently, Emirates doubled its Premium Economy offering on Melbourne flights and will operate an all-A380 service to Brisbane starting 1 October.

Additionally, Emirates is resuming daily service to Adelaide on 28 October and reinstating a second daily Perth service on 1 December. These increases reflect the airline’s ongoing commitment to growing its services down under.

The busiest period for Emirates this winter has been June with 44 per cent of passengers travelling during this period as the school holidays kicked off across Australia. The airline has also revealed when most Australians are booking their European travels, with 39 per cent of passengers booking their flights four to six months ahead, 28% of passengers securing their tickets seven months ahead, and just 8 per cent of organised Australians booking more than seven months in advance.

New Premium Economy cabin proves a hit

Emirates Premium Economy.

The new Premium Economy cabin has exceeded expectations in Australia, said Emirates, with nearly 185,000 passengers having flown Premium Economy since it was introduced in Sydney and Melbourne, averaging over 90 per cent load factors. This surge in demand reflects a broader trend of travellers prioritising luxury and comfort, with a notable shift towards premium offerings, the airline said.

“To keep pace with this incredible demand, we’re expanding our services with a focus on choice and comfort,” Brown said. “This includes the continued rollout of our popular Premium Economy cabin across our network, increased up-gauging on key routes popular with Australians, and the reinstatement of our Adelaide services which will give even more travellers the opportunity to connect to new experiences on Emirates.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming even more passengers onboard and helping them create unforgettable travel memories.”

Dubai also experienced a welcome spike in travellers this year, further solidifying its position as the preferred hub for global connectivity. Over 101,000 overnight Australians experienced the city from January to May 2024, a 5.5 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023. This growth has been driven by Dubai’s vibrant list of cultural attractions, world-class sporting events and unrivalled luxury stays, which continue to attract travellers from across the nation.

Emirates Boeing 777.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

emirates

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