Australia’s favourite regional town has been revealed

9Travel and Today’s Aussie Travel Trends Index surveyed Nine audiences across TV, digital, print and radio, to find out your favourite travel destinations. Here are the results.
Australians love a holiday away from crowds and are increasingly flocking to regional centres around the country as preferred getaway destinations.
Tourism data from Tourism Research Australia (TRA), revealed regional tourism numbers had increased overall in the 12 months leading up to March 2024.
To find out which regional town Aussies love the most, we asked our Nine audience to vote in our inaugural 9Travel survey the Aussie Travel Trends Index.
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While NSW received the highest number of visitors to regional areas, according to the TRA data, it was in fact Daylesford in Victoria that was voted as Australia’s favourite regional town.
Located in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range of Victoria, Daylesford is known for its natural mineral springs. The popular Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens sit atop an extinct volcano. On its grounds, a 19th-century mansion is home to the Convent Gallery.
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Daylesford and Cairns are the most popular regional towns to visit for around 1 in 4 respondents; followed closely by the Gold Coast, Launceston, Barossa, Bendigo, and Ballarat.
Nearly a quarter of our readers (23 per cent) chose Cairns as a favourite. Considered the gateway to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the city is in tropical Far North Queensland, which was also voted as Australia’s overall favourite holiday destination.
Tasmania also continues to be a firm favourite among our readers, with 20 per cent of survey respondents selecting Launceston as their favourite regional town.
Launceston is famed for the Cataract Gorge, featuring panoramic views and walking trails. But it is also known for its rich food, brewing, and wine scene, as well as being the region’s cultural capital thanks to several standout museums, such as the Queen Victoria Museum at Inveresk.
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The Gold Coast in Queensland, and the Barossa in South Australia, rounded out the top five most popular regional towns in our Aussie Travel Trends Index.
Also featuring in the top 10 were Bendigo and Ballarat, in Victoria, as well as Orange, Berry and Mudgee in NSW.
Berry was crowned the top small tourism town in NSW in 2023.
The survey, conducted by 9Travel and Today, showed that people are travelling to various destinations across Australia, although eastern seaboard locations are the most popular.
Far North Queensland was voted as the number one favourite holiday destination in Australia by our readers. Wineglass Bay in Tasmania was crowned Australia’s favourite beach.
Stay tuned for more from our Aussie Travel Trends Index, brought to you by 9Travel and Today.