In the imminent wake of school holidays, individuals gearing up for travel are being fervently advised to plan ahead, preparing for the most bustling international travel phase since the reopening of global borders.
Sydney Airport braces itself for the onslaught of a surge, anticipating the springtime school holiday period to invite the broadest scale of international travel witnessed since February of the previous year. Traffic in the airport is predicted to teem with busyness rather than chaos, encapsulating the rekindling spirit of pre-pandemic vacationing.
Observations from the peak period on a Friday morning showed a swift and efficient flow of domestic travellers, successfully manoeuvring through security checks within a rapid five-minute window. The airport anticipates this smooth operation persisting throughout the upcoming fortnight of spring school holidays, projected to significantly elevate the volumes of both domestic and international flight travels.
The Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Australia undertook a survey disclosing that nearly three-quarters of Australians are looking forward to a holiday during the school pause. Among 1500 participants, 60 per cent expressed plans for domestic travels, while a 12 per cent fraction outlined their preference for an overseas journey.
Rising living costs, however, continue to impede over half of the participant’s travel plans as surveyed. Margy Osmond, TTF’s Chief Executive, highlighted the ongoing dependence of the tourism industry on domestic travel until the influx of international travellers returned to the levels seen before the pandemic.
Despite financial constraints enforcing modifications such as shortening trips or opting for budget-friendly accommodations, Osmond commends the inclination of more Australians preparing to take holidays, thereby funnelling their tourism dollars into the domestic economy.
Sydney Airport’s report disclosed a commendable recovery of 88.6 per cent of its pre-Covid traffic. A significant statistic observed in August displayed 3.25 million passengers traversing through the airport. Geoff Culbert, Sydney Airport’s CEO, underscored the stronger rebound of international flights over domestic ones.
Culbert pointed out that recent expansions in capacity from certain international airlines had prompted a swell in overseas travellers. This is especially pronounced among visitors from countries such as South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam, with current figures surpassing those marked in 2019. The resurgence of domestic travel, however, remains disappointingly lacklustre, with August’s results showing a 12 per cent dip from comparable 2019 statistics.
The Tourism & Transport Forum survey disclosed that 82 per cent of Australians aim to travel in the coming year, promoting travel to second place in the list of significant non-essential expenditures. In light of this, Culbert expects that the increasing interest of Australians in taking holidays could potentially expedite the airport’s recovery.
With school holidays on the doorstep, travellers are strongly encouraged to meticulously plan, arriving early at the airport to sidestep possible hitches. Arriving a recommended two hours early for domestic departures and three hours for international ones will ensure smooth procedures for passengers with check-in luggage. For those intending to leave their vehicles at Sydney airport, pre-booking is suggested to circumnavigate the school holiday hustle.
