Holiday here this year with iVenture card In the wake of 12 months of uncertainty, lockdowns and working from home, Australia is emerging from the worst of the pandemic and there is light at the end of the tunnel for the travel industry with border restrictions easing and Australians wanderlust helping to drive a comeback. This adventurous Aussie spirit to travel has skyrocketed over recent years and we saw over 50 million more trips made in 2019 than a decade earlier, and even pre-COVID 90% of total trips by Australians were domestic. As we emerge to a new kind of normal, Australian’s are eager to look to domestic holidays to ease their wanderlust to escape their own four walls and enjoy much missed time with family and friends. In a recent survey by KPMG, 61 percent of Australian respondents said they were planning on booking a holiday between January and June 2021 and 72 percent said they would book a holiday between July and December 2021. The “holiday here this year” sentiment is ringing loud and clear and all of us that have felt confined to our communities are now able to enjoy some well-deserved escapes, and tick off some of our backyard bucket-list. Aussie wanderlust With savings and annual leave in their pockets we are seeing those residing in our cities exploring more of our regional areas, enjoying road trips and helping some of the areas recovering from the 2019/2020 bushfires. Inversely we are starting to see an influx in those from regional areas or other states enjoying staycations in our cities and ticking off iconic experiences while our hubs are not overcrowded with tourists. Our success in containing COVID outbreaks has given some Aussie travel operators a lifeline as they welcome those from around Australia to enjoy our local attractions, hotels, tours and restaurants. And in addition to communities supporting local business, we too in the industry are forging new partnerships to support each other and promote intra and interstate travel. Here in Sydney, iVenture Card has partnered with Hyatt Regency Sydney on their (Re) Discover Sydney package. The offer is perfect for Sydneysiders looking for a city stay with some extra entertainment, or those coming from further afield that are looking to check out Sydney’s popular tourist hotspots. In addition to the hotel’s amenities and a la carte breakfast, guests receive a pass to one of Sydney’s hottest attractions, choosing from Sydney SEA LIFE Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Sydney Opera House, Madame Tussauds or Sydney Tower Eye. Sydney Opera House Tour We are seeing these kind of partnerships grow across the country that combine offerings from travel, hotel and entertainment industries in a push to capture domestic markets until international tourism guests are welcomed once again. More so as an industry we are innovating and moving along with the rapid changes. Here at iVenture Card we have built bespoke activities and tour passes for destinations and organisations around the world including Dubai Tourism and Athens Airport with a focus on inbound tourism and are now leveraging our technology and systems to expand domestically with local tourism boards and operators. So often do we deem a “holiday” to be overseas deferring our home country’s gems for a later date, but this time has taught us that travel needn’t be far. We’d like to thank everyone for their continued support and encourage you to explore, embrace and enjoy our beautiful country not just now but in the years to come.