Cairns listed as one of the top destinations for 2024 - Travel News

Dec 08, 2023

Park your plans for a 2024 trip to Bali, or even a weekend in Byron Bay – because the hottest spot to visit next year is about as far from Bintangs as you can get. Words by Vanessa Brown.

With 2023 almost behind us, travel experts have crunched the numbers and tipped exactly what Aussies hope to experience on their next holiday both at home and abroad.

In a new study released by online travel platform, Booking.com, says that the backpacker hub of Cairns is set to be the hottest destination in the country next year — and added it to the top destinations to visit in the world for 2024.

“Heading into a new year, Aussies are demonstrating a renewed sense of optimism when it comes to travel, looking for opportunities to reinvigorate and reinvent themselves, be it on international escapades or simply exploring their own backyard, to level up their day-to-day lives,” Todd Lacey, Regional Manager of Oceania at Booking.com, said. “Our 2024 Travel Predictions reflect the idea that travel is not a means to escape life, but instead a catalyst to live our best lives.”

Cairns, which has seen a significant boom in both domestic and international tourism this year, has seen airport numbers tracking at the highest rate since the pandemic. In a statement to InQueensland, a spokesperson for Cairns Airport said International passenger movements finished at 93 per cent compared to 2019, a total of 54,000, with Japanese traffic continuing to grow month on month.

National Park, Cairns. Source: TEQ

The figures are likely reflective of the new Cairns to Tokyo route launched by Virgin Australia in June this year, and Jetstar in October 2022 — both making access to Tropical North Queensland much easier. In a statement, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Chief Executive Officer, Mark Olsen said it was great news that Cairns had been included in the top trending travel destinations for 2024.

“With two World Heritage areas side by side and more than 2000 experiences to choose from, Cairns is ideal for a nature-based holiday,” he said. “A vibrant food and drinks scene with waterfront restaurants, breweries, distilleries and artisan bars using the best tropical produce completes the itinerary for any holidaymaker.”

Cairns, Queensland. Source: Supplied

In addition to the boom of international travellers, domestic passenger numbers had exceeded 2019 levels, with 372,000 people travelling through the terminal, InQueensland reports. As well as Cairns, the online platform shared some of the other hot spots to watch in the new year. Coming in on top was Beppu in Japan, followed by Vlorë in Albania and Mérida in Mexico.

The ever-popular Portland, Oregon was the only mention from the United States and for our friends across the ditch, Rotorua in New Zealand also received a nod. To be included in the top list, destinations had to be in the top 1,000 most booked on the site between 1

August 2022 and 31 July 2023, and the list was sorted by year-over-year increase and curated to ensure geographic distribution.

In total, 27,730 respondents across 33 countries and territories were polled, including 1012 from Australia, 1009 from Canada, 1009 from China, 1004 from Japan, and 1015 from New Zealand.

This story originally appeared on news.com.au. It has been reproduced here with permission.