Chasing the sun and the SEA: Southeast Asia tops travel destinations for Australians in 2025
Millions of Australians are planning a getaway this year, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,013 respondents revealed 68% of Australians – more than 14 million people – are preparing for a trip in 2025.
The research shows 40% of Aussies will holiday at home – that's 8.3 million people planning to travel domestically.
Almost 1 in 3 (28%) plan to travel internationally throughout the year.
Southeast Asia (SEA) is at the top of plenty of people's wish lists this year, with 15% of Aussies keen to visit countries in the region including Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.
Peta Taylor, insurance expert at Finder said, the data shows a shift to destinations offering more competitive prices.
"Southeast Asia has long been a favourite holiday hotspot among Australians, with holidaymakers flocking to more competitively priced destinations like Indonesia and Vietnam."
The data shows Europe is in second place for international destinations, with 13% of Australians planning a trip to countries such as Spain and Germany.
Japan rounds out the top three popular international destinations, with 12% planning to visit the Land of the Rising Sun.
The United States (7%), United Kingdom (6%), China (4%) and India (2%) are also popular with Australian tourists in 2025.
Taylor said travel insurance was essential for any Australian looking to travel overseas.
"If you can't afford insurance, you really can't afford the trip.
"An incident overseas – whether it's a cancelled flight or overnight hospital stay – can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
"The best thing you can do is compare a few travel insurance policies to ensure you're getting the best bang for your buck."
Taylor said plenty of Aussies are keen to visit places a little closer to home this year.
"This is a consequence of the cost of living with a growing number of Aussies looking to holiday on a budget.
"For people wanting to keep their costs low, removing the need for flights can mean a holiday is in reach," Taylor said.
Where are you planning to travel in 2025?
| Domestically (within Australia) | 40% |
| Southeast Asia (e.g. Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, etc) | 15% |
| Europe (e.g. Italy, Spain, Germany, France, etc) | 13% |
| Japan | 12% |
| United States | 7% |
| United Kingdom | 6% |
| China | 4% |
| India | 2% |
| None of the above | 32% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,013 Australians, January 2025 |  |
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,013 respondents from January 2025.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
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