Travel

Australia is Open, Here’s What The Experts Are Predicting about Travel in 2022

What you need to know about the world in the year ahead.

where to travel 2022

The course of travel has been redefined repeatedly over the past year and a half, which has caused a lot of confusion for travellers. The continuous versions of the ‘new normal’ provided false hope, and trapped some in states and countries, unable to return home. 

Now, 19 months later, we’re finally taking steps forward, opening borders, reuniting with friends and family, and travelling for tourism. Although, some are still cautious about international travel, so we’ve recruited the experts at Booking.com to predict what the triumphant return of travel will look like in 2022.  

Booking.com’s extensive research report sees 2022 as the year to start making up for lost holiday time, with the number of Australian travellers who feel they need to do so has increased by 52% since last year.

Here’s what the experts are predicting for next year’s travel comeback.

MORE: Singapore Is Finally Reopening to Australians. Here’s Where You Should Go First

Vitamin Vacay

More so than daily exercise or mindful meditation, getting away on holiday will become the form of self-care in 2022, with over three-quarters of people (82%) affirming that travel helps their mental and emotional wellbeing more than other forms of rest and relaxation. 

 After more than a year of ever-evolving travel restrictions, the important benefits that travel has on health and wellbeing are now being acknowledged, with over two thirds (72%) saying they didn’t realize how important travel was to their wellbeing until it was no longer an option, and 87% saying that having a holiday planned has a positive impact on their emotional wellbeing.

If you’re looking for wellness retreats around Australia, click here

Resetting the Out of (Home) Office

When the pandemic hit, homes across the globe became our offices too, and the novelty of working remotely was realized. However, in 2022 we’ll see a significant rise in people wanting to take back control in a bid to firmly re-establish a healthy work-life balance as holiday time itself will be strictly work-free for three-quarters of Australian travellers (76%) in 2022, which wasn’t always the case in 2021 with home and remote work lives blurred.

All the First-Time Feels

After feeling ‘stuck’ for so long, rather than rushing through the journey, Australian travellers will be relishing every moment, from fine-tuning the playlist for the rental car to browsing the delicacies duty-free has to offer, with a fifth (21%) most looking forward to the pure excitement and anticipation as the journey begins. Each ‘first’ of our trips in 2022 will be a moment to savour, with a majority of Australian travellers saying that simple pleasures such as feeling the sun on their skin (85%) or seeing a body of water of some kind instantly improve their mood for the better (84%).

Community First

In 2022, this desire to connect authentically with the local community will continue on holidays too, as we seek to be more mindful about every trip we take and ensure our impact on the places we visit and the people who live there is positive. Well, over half (61%) of people agree it’s important that their trip is beneficial to the local community at their destination and 52% would appreciate an app or website that provides recommendations on destinations where an increase in tourism would have a positive impact on the local community.

Swipe Right on New Places and Faces

For many, the pandemic meant spending an extended and intense period with our closest friends and loved ones, but holidays in 2022 will be an opportunity to branch out and make some new connections. Over half (55%) want to meet new people while away. We expect to see Australian travellers using their holidays as an opportunity to expand their usual social circles, with 66% of Australian travellers looking forward to socializing while on holiday and 40% wanting to stay somewhere close to plenty of nightlife options so that they can meet new people. 

Tired of swiping through the same faces for the past year and a half, people will also be making use of their favourite dating apps while on holiday in 2022 with travel providing an exciting opportunity to find love. Booking.com predicts a resurgence of holiday romances, with one in four (41%) Aussie travellers hoping for love to strike on their next trip. But the romance doesn’t have to stop at the end of the trip – thanks to technology we may see more than a few of these holiday romances turn into the real deal. 

For off-the-beaten-track destinations, click here. 

Just Say Yes

After so long of being told “no” Australian travellers are reclaiming a more positive way of thinking for 2022. In fact, 70% will be shirking all the structure they’ve been contending with, preferring a holiday where they stay flexible and just go with the flow vs. having a well-planned itinerary full of activities. The coming year will bring the very best of improv to travel, with us responding to each unexpected twist and turn in the trip with an emphatic “yes, and…”

Embracing the Unpredictable

Uncertainty will continue to be a constant in travel in 2022, and while we cannot change or predict every new surprise and challenge that fate has in store for us, we will embrace it. Having leaned on technology in a variety of ways to stay connected and inspired over the past year and a half, our favourite apps will continue to help us navigate the unknown on our trips, with two-thirds (62%) agreeing that technology helps alleviate anxiety around travelling.

Australians were fortunate to enjoy local travel during much of the pandemic, however, the most recent Delta outbreak and lockdowns have us all hungry for more, especially when it comes to dusting off our passports for international adventures.  

Now as we look towards next year and vaccination rates continue to rise, we’re seeing a lot of excitement and anticipation for people to return to travel. Aussies are particularly keen to reunite with family and friends interstate overseas, as well as the change of pace and scenery that travel beyond our borders provides. 

We will be there for Australian travellers, offering the widest choice of stays, great value and the easiest experience from anywhere and on any device, so people can reclaim their travel mojo and enjoy all of the unforgettable experiences this world has to offer.

MORE: Fiji is Finally Reopening to Australians. Here’s Where You Should Go First

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Travel

Ditch your Phone for ‘Dome Life’ in this Pastoral Paradise Outside Port Macquarie 

A responsible, sustainable travel choice for escaping big city life for a few days.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

The urge to get as far away as possible from the incessant noise and pressures of ‘big city life’ has witnessed increasingly more of us turn to off-grid adventures for our holidays: Booking.com polled travellers at the start of 2023 and 55% of us wanted to spend our holidays ‘off-grid’.  Achieving total disconnection from the unyielding demands of our digitised lives via some kind of off-grid nature time—soft or adventurous—is positioned not only as a holiday but, indeed, a necessity for our mental health. 

Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, an accommodation collection of geodesic domes dotted across a lush rural property in Greater Port Macquarie (a few hours’ drive from Sydney, NSW), offers a travel experience that is truly ‘off-grid’. In the figurative ‘wellness travel’ sense of the word, and literally, they run on their own independent power supply—bolstered by solar—and rely not on the town grid. 

Ten minutes before you arrive at the gates for a stay at Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, your phone goes into ‘SOS ONLY’. Apple Maps gives up, and you’re pushed out of your comfort zone, driving down unsealed roads in the dark, dodging dozens of dozing cows. Then, you must ditch your car altogether and hoist yourself into an open-air, all-terrain 4WD with gargantuan wheels. It’s great fun being driven through muddy gullies in this buggy; you feel like Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park.  As your buggy pulls in front of your personal Nature Dome, it’s not far off that “Welcome…to Jurassic Park” jaw-dropping moment—your futuristic-looking home is completely engulfed by thriving native bushland; beyond the outdoor campfire lie expansive hills and valleys of green farmland, dotted with sheep and trees. You’re almost waiting to see a roaming brachiosaurus glide past, munching on a towering gum tree…instead, a few inquisitive llamas trot past your Dome to check out their new visitor. 

To fully capture the awe of inhabiting a geodesic dome for a few days, a little history of these futuristic-looking spherical structures helps. Consisting of interlocking triangular skeletal struts supported by (often transparent) light walls, geodesic domes were developed in the 20th century by American engineer and architect R. Buckminster Fuller, and were used for arenas. Smaller incarnations have evolved into a ‘future-proof’ form of modern housing: domes are able to withstand harsh elements due to the stability provided by the durable materials of their construction and their large surface area to volume ratio (which helps minimize wind impact and prevents the structure from collapsing). As housing, they’re also hugely energy efficient – their curved shape helps to conserve heat and reduce energy costs, making them less susceptible to temperature changes outside. The ample light let in by their panels further reduces the need for artificial power. 

Due to their low environmental impact, they’re an ideal sustainable travel choice. Of course, Tom’s Creek Nature Domes’ owner-operators, Cardia and Lee Forsyth, know all this, which is why they have set up their one-of-a-kind Nature Domes experience for the modern traveller. It’s also no surprise to learn that owner Lee is an electrical engineer—experienced in renewable energy—and that he designed the whole set-up. As well as the off-grid power supply, rainwater tanks are used, and the outdoor hot tub is heated by a wood fire—your campfire heats up your tub water via a large metal coil. Like most places in regional Australia, the nights get cold – but rather than blast a heater, the Domes provide you with hot water bottles, warm blankets, lush robes and heavy curtains to ward off the chill.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

You’ll need to be self-sufficient during your stay at the Domes, bringing your own food. Support local businesses and stock up in the town of Wauchope on your drive-in (and grab some pastries and coffee at Baked Culture while you’re at it). There’s a stovetop, fridge (stocked as per a mini bar), BBQs, lanterns and mozzie coils, and you can even order DIY S’More packs for fireside fun. The interiors of the Domes have a cosy, stylish fit-out, with a modern bathroom (and a proper flushing toilet—none of that drop bush toilet stuff). As there’s no mobile reception, pack a good book or make the most of treasures that lie waiting to be discovered at every turn: a bed chest full of board games, a cupboard crammed with retro DVDs, a stargazing telescope (the skies are ablaze come night time). Many of these activities are ideal for couples, but there’s plenty on offer for solo travellers, such as yoga mats, locally-made face masks and bath bombs for hot tub soaks. 

It’s these thoughtful human touches that reinforce the benefit of making a responsible travel choice by booking local and giving your money to a tourism operator in the Greater Port Macquarie Region, such as Tom’s Creek Nature Domes. The owners are still working on the property following the setbacks of COVID-19, and flooding in the region —a new series of Domes designed with families and groups in mind is under construction, along with an open-air, barn-style dining hall and garden stage. Once ready, the venue will be ideal for wedding celebrations, with wedding parties able to book out the property. They’ve already got one couple—who honeymooned at the Domes—ready and waiting. Just need to train up the llamas for ring-bearer duties! 

An abundance of favourite moments come to mind from my two-night stay at Tom’s Creek: sipping champagne and gourmet picnicking at the top of a hill on a giant swing under a tree, with a bird’s eye view of the entire property (the ‘Mountain Top picnic’ is a must-do activity add on during your stay), lying on a deckchair at night wrapped in a blanket gazing up at starry constellations and eating hot melted marshmallows, to revelling in the joys of travellers before me, scrawled on notes in a jar of wishes left by the telescope (you’re encouraged to write your own to add to the jar). But I’ll leave you with a gratitude journal entry I made while staying there. I will preface this by saying that I don’t actually keep a gratitude journal, but Tom’s Creek Nature Domes is just the kind of place that makes you want to start one. And so, waking up on my second morning at Tom’s —lacking any 4G bars to facilitate my bad habit of a morning Instagram scroll—I finally opened up a notebook and made my first journal entry:

‘I am grateful to wake up after a deep sleep and breathe in the biggest breaths of this clean air, purified by nature and scented with eucalyptus and rain. I am grateful for this steaming hot coffee brewed on a fire. I feel accomplished at having made myself. I am grateful for the skittish sheep that made me laugh as I enjoyed a long nature walk at dawn and the animated billy goats and friendly llamas overlooking my shoulder as I write this: agreeable company for any solo traveller. I’m grateful for total peace, absolute stillness.” 

Off-grid holiday status: unlocked.

Where: Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, Port Macquarie, 2001 Toms Creek Rd
Price: $450 per night, book at the Natura Domes website.

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