A new trend report has revealed the top-searched destinations in the world by Australian travellers based on flight searches over the past year.
Data from users of KAYAK.com.au – a subsidiary of Booking Holdings Inc – has revealed Australian travellers are increasingly looking for unique cultural experiences on their next holiday.
The top-trending international destinations searched for by Australians are dominated by Asian and Middle Eastern regions, with multiple destinations in India showing a large growth in search compared to last year.
The Indian city of Ahmedabad – home to the Sabarmati Ashram, one of the residencies of Mahatma Gandhi – tops the list when it comes to increased searches with year-on-year growth of 124 per cent, followed by Lahore in Pakistan (90 per cent) and Kathmandu, Nepal (76 per cent).
Here are the top 15 trending destinations, according to KAYAK.com.au:
- Ahmedabad, India (+124 per cent)
- Lahore, Pakistan (+90 per cent)
- Kathmandu, Nepal (+76 per cent)
- Kochi, India (+71 per cent)
- Karachi, Pakistan (+65 per cent)
- Tokyo, Japan (+60 per cent)
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates (+57 per cent)
- Beirut, Lebanon (+53 per cent)
- Chennai, India (+50 per cent)
- Bengaluru, India (+50 per cent)
- Colombo, Sri Lanka (+49 per cent)
- Johannesburg, South Africa (+48 per cent)
- Manila, Philippines (+47 per cent)
- Cebu, Philippines (+46 per cent)
- Hanoi, Vietnam (+41 per cent)
Although KAYAK.com.au has observed an increase in interest from its users to visit regions like Pakistan and Lebanon, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) via Smartraveller currently advises travellers against visiting these regions.
Smartraveller currently advises visitors to Lebanon exercise a “high degree of caution” overall due to “the unpredictable security situation, the threat of terrorist attack and ongoing political and sectarian tensions”.
It also strictly advises travellers against visiting Pakistan.
“We haven’t changed our level of advice – ‘reconsider your need to travel’ to Pakistan and ‘do not travel’ to the border areas with India and Afghanistan,” the website states.
