Australians have opted travelling to cheaper destinations like Bali, Thailand and Fiji after the sudden slug of the Australian dollar. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of Australian visitors to Hawaii more than doubled, reaching 310,000 when the Australian dollar was performing in its full strength.
The number of Australian visitors heading to Hawaii rose by 12.6 per cent as air capacity received a marked rise bringing a number of Aussie tourists to Waikiki.
The regions that have most suffered due to the slowdown of the currency are shopping which fell by 11 per cent and also a choice for low priced hotels identified by the Hawaii tourism authority. The outbound market has definitely gone down with Australian tourists.
Despite the fall in the spending habits of tourists, airlines feel that the flow seems to be regular and continuous. Airlines are making sure that the seats are filled from Brisbane. Hawaiian Airlines and jetstar are coming up with offers for the budget market and customers are taking advantage of the competitive fares. Most tickets of the airlines are sold; customers have suddenly become more value conscious. Even though the airlines are losing out on revenue with the drop of the Australian dollar but are pleased that most of their tickets are sold out.
The role has been reversed for the inbound market. Lower dollars have resulted in high spending in shopping, restaurants and high end hotel stays from tourists mostly from the China and US. Domestic tourists from Queensland are also also taking trips within Australia.
