Why Early Planning Will Literally Pay Off

After a tumultuous couple of years for the tourism industry, travel is well and truly on the up. 

With borders open and departures increasing, travel comparison site GoSee (formerly Airport Rentals and Motorhome Republic) has revealed current trending destinations based on the latest booking and search data, and shared their need-to-know tips when it comes to planning for your next overseas adventure.

April alone saw an increase in international trips by 271,470 (ABS), 94% of which were short-term, a trend that will only grow as traveller confidence increases and leisure and business travel slowly return to pre-pandemic levels.

Naturally however, the pandemic's effects on the tourism industry are still being felt globally, and with the increased demand comes an increase in travel costs due to supply shortages, with the rise expected to continue into the next 1-2 years at least.

“Many car and campervan rental agencies are operating with half or less of their pre-Covid fleet, meaning there are simply fewer car rentals available for travellers to rent and has also seen prices increase dramatically. Daily car rental rates more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, a trend we have seen continue to rise in 2022 and we expect will continue for a number of years,” GoSee CEO, Darren Linton explains.

Tip 1: Booking early has never been more important 

“For those looking to plan road trips either domestically or internationally, being aware of the latest travel trends is vital. It may not be what travellers are used to, but planning early will mean that customers are able to lock in the perfect vehicle despite the global rental shortages. Generally speaking, the more in demand the location you’re looking to travel to will be, the earlier you’ll want to plan your trip,” suggests Linton.

Tip 2: Off-peak and sale periods are the best time to save money

“If you’re wanting to ensure that you secure your desired vehicle at the lowest cost we’d recommend booking in shoulder seasons like winter and avoiding big school holiday periods like Christmas and Easter. We’d also highly suggest getting in early and making the most of sales and deals periods that run throughout the year which can help you save a significant amount on your overall travel costs,” says Linton.

Top International Trending Destinations

Unsurprisingly, both searches and bookings for international car hire have seen a huge upwards trend since April, as travellers gain the confidence to book overseas trips.

GoSee data reveals Aussies are keen to swap the cold for the European summer and warmer northern weather, with bookings to Greece up by 89% over the last year and Italy by 83%. Thailand has seen the biggest booking increase with bookings up by 96% from last year.

Google search data reveals the cities travellers are most keen on visiting, with locations in European countries including Greece and Italy among the most popular again, seeing the biggest increase in searches for car hire over the past month.

Top trending international car hire locations month-on-month according to Google search data:

1. Corfu (Greece) - up 58% 

2. Rome (Italy) - up 56% 

3. Kefalonia (Greece) - up 47% 

4. Geneva (Switzerland) - up 46% 

5. Oahu (Hawaii) - up 46% 

6. Oxford (UK) - up 46% 

7. Wellington (New Zealand) - up 41% 

8. Orlando (US) - up 36% 

9. Norwich (UK) - up 36% 

10. Faro (Portugal) - up 36% 

Top Domestic Trending Destinations

“Over the pandemic, we saw a huge spike in bookings for Hobart with demand doubling. It’s great to see that the pandemic has given people an appreciation for the awesome experiences that they have so close to home and we expect this trend to continue into 2022” Linton says.

Despite the lure of Tasmania over the last few years, these locations are currently trending in the domestic market for car hire:

1. Orange, up 36% MoM

2. Wagga, up 35% MoM

3. Cairns, up 34% MoM

4. Townsville, up 34% MoM

5. Jindabyne, up 33% MoM