Australian Day Holiday-Makers Head to the Cities to Join the Celebrations
Sydney, 20 January 2010 – The big city festivities are the main attraction for the Australia Day weekend,
as travelers take advantage of great city hotel deals around the country.
Hotel price comparison site HotelsCombined.com General Manager Michael Doubinski said “There are
some great city breaks still on offer for travelers making late bookings, despite high demand in a
recovering economy. We’re logging a Melbourne spike this year, with 35% of site visitors booking a
Melbourne trip, ahead of 30% for Sydney. The Gold Coast is coming in third in the popularity stakes, but
this year most travelers are choosing a city weekend break rather than heading for the beaches.”
Doubinski indicated “Site statistics show that Australians making a late hotel booking for the Australia Day
period will be paying an average of $182 in Melbourne, $161 in Sydney, $157 on the Gold Coast and
$158 in the nation’s capital.
According to the latest quarterly survey from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, accommodation in fourth
quarter of 2009 recorded a 6% drop in average hotel rates due to the global financial crisis. Sydney has
been hardest hit, having average rates down by nearly 12%.
“Travelers are taking advantage of the dip in accommodation pricing to be part of the fun at the free
celebrations in our largest cities, with a little more spending money left in their pockets,” said Doubinski.
Many Melbourne visitors will be bound for the Australian Open Tennis to watch 3rd and 4th round singles
and quarter-final matches scheduled between Saturday 23rd and Tuesday 26th. For horse racing fans,
Australia Day Race Day at Caulfield is another major sporting drawcard.
Whether swimming or just watching, the crowds will also be down at Brighton for The Great Australia Day
Swim at 9am. The 1.2 km open water swim from the pier finishes inside the iconic Middle Brighton Baths.
A drawcard will be the inaugural Klim Swim Relay, with Olympic swimming legend Michael Klim and other
Olympians joining corporate relay teams competing over a 5 x 400 metre course for the Klim Swim
Charity Trophy and team prize.
In Sydney, families and visitors will descend on Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay for official celebrations
including the ABC for Kids concert and cultural music and dance performances on the Aquashell. The
party will wrap up with the Australia Day Spectacular, featuring local stars including 2009 Australian Idol
winner Stan Walker and a dramatic ‘multimedia symphony’ of light, sound, music and fireworks.
About HotelsCombined.com
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Media Contact
Vicki Byrne
Head of Business Development
Phone: +61 2 8011 4192
Mobile: +61 403 561 344
Email: Vicki@HotelsCombined.com
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