Report reveals domestic tourists want to escape pressures of modern life

WITH domestic travel habits changing, new research is identifying the emerging trends and opportunities that will shape tourism on the Mid North Coast and other key areas of tourism in the state the coming decade.

A new NSW Government report, Future Demand – Unlocking NSW Visitor Economy Growth, examines the social, cultural, economic, lifestyle and technological forces influencing how Australians will choose where, when, and why they travel.

The findings highlight growing demand for experiences that offer respite from the pressures of modern life, including reconnecting with nature, improving wellbeing, switching off from digital distractions, pursuing niche interests and simply slowing down.

The report was unveiled at the NSW Visitor Economy Forum 2026 at ICC Sydney, which brought together more than 500 visitor economy decision-makers, researchers and industry leaders to discuss the trends and opportunities shaping the future of tourism in NSW.

“Understanding what will motivate tomorrow’s traveller is critical to growing the NSW visitor economy,” said Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones.

Based on research conducted by FiftyFive5, part of Accenture Song, Future Demand identifies seven key macrotrends including:

• Reassured travel: the rise of the “known quantity”, experiences that are verified, guaranteed and familiar.
• Actual intelligence: a return to reading, writing, making, talking, being around people and exploring nature without digital distractions.
• Mirror travel: travel shaped by the places that reflect personal obsessions, niche interests and pursuits.
• Poles apart: travel splitting in two opposite directions —at one end, the ultra-luxe, ultra-curated and the private traveller; at the other, the travel hacker who makes it work and finds a way inside the budget.
• Travel prescription: travellers swapping passive trips for active, nature-driven experiences that genuinely transform their health.
• Time travel: searching for comfort in nostalgia and revisiting childhood travel destinations.
• Heat is on: visitors restructuring their itineraries based on climate change.

“These insights give destinations and tourism businesses a valuable window into changing consumer expectations and where new opportunities could emerge,” Ms Jones said.

“For NSW, the opportunity is to use those insights to continue evolving our visitor experiences and give people compelling reasons to choose NSW, stay longer and explore more of the state.”

The latest Tourism Research Australia (TRA) data shows NSW was number one in the country, welcoming 130.6 million domestic and international visitors, up 5.1 per cent year-on-year, who spent a record $62.9 billion in NSW, up 12.8 per cent, and stayed 225.7 million nights.

Expect to hear new tourism buzzwords in the future. The survey revealed:

34 per cent of travellers are seeking “gentle adventuring” —experiences that offer excitement without risk.

38 per cent are drawn to “roomrotting” — a deliberately anti-productive and anti-discovery escape where visitors simply rest.

31 per cent desire “analogue travel” — opportunities to disconnect from screens and head offline.

30 per cent are celebrating “mini-stones” — escapes that mark small accomplishments in life.

25 per cent are seeking “microvacations” —spontaneous 24-hour trips.

41 per cent are planning to be “bougie on a budget” — sourcing affordable deals on luxe experiences.

41 per cent are interested in quietcations” — uncrowded, peaceful experiences.

24 per cent are inspired by “celestial sojourns” — stargazing, dark sky and astronomy experiences.

25 per cent are considering “coolcations” — escapes to cooler environments.