Melbourne is a favourite holiday destination for Victorians
VICTORIANS are blessed with holiday options from beaches to snowfields, wineries and fine country dining but Melbourne is the state’s top holiday destination.
More Victorians are likely to holiday in their capital city than any other state in Australia, recent Roy Morgan research shows, and Box Hill’s David Wilson understands the trend.
“We wanted our kids to grow up knowing their own back yard and appreciating it,” Mr Wilson said.
“Melbourne is a beautiful city with a lot of attractions so it’s a great place for a holiday. You can be busy here for a whole weekend and still not cover everything there is to do.”
Mr Wilson, 49, has taken holidays in Melbourne, known as Citycations, with his wife Melanie, 48, and children Cooper, 15, and Fiona, 12, for many years.
Even though the city is only 30 minutes away on the train, the family delights in the cultural, dining and sport attractions of Melbourne,
On their most recent trip earlier this year they stayed at the Langham Hotel and visited the skate park, Pellegrinis, Ponyfish Island bar and took the Herron Island boat trip.
“Because we save money on airfares we can enjoy the luxuries that Melbourne has to offer,” he said.
“We still travel back to my home country of Scotland every three years and take other trips but we mostly try to stay within Victoria these days.”
The Roy Morgan research found that of West Australians who travel intrastate, most go to the southwest areas of Pemberton, Albany and Denmark for a holiday (11.6 Per cent), followed by Perth (13.6 per cent) and Margaret River (11 per cent).
In New South Wales, the most popular intrastate destination is the North Coast (11.6 per cent) followed by Sydney (9,5 per cent) and the South Coast such as Nowra and Merimbula (6.1 per cent) while in Queensland the Sunshine Coast (13.4 per cent) and Gold Coast (9.6 per cent) are more popular than Brisbane (9.5 per cent).
South Australians choose to holiday on the Yorke Peninsula (9.4 per cent) or McLaren Vale, Victor Harbour, Goolwa and Cape Jervis (8.4 per cent) before heading to Adealide (6.8 per cent) while Tasmanians choose Launceston (8.1 per cent) before Hobart (7.8 per cent) and the East Coast towns of St Helens and Swansea (6 per cent) are the third most popular intrastate holiday destinations.
The love Victorians have for their capital city was part of the reason MAB Corporation General Manager of Residential David Allt-Graham said his company decided to build a new Quest serviced apartment block at Docklands, making it the biggest of their properties in Australia. “The choice and quality of Melbourne’s food and entertainment facilities is exceptional and growing – transforming the city into a 24-hour, go-to destination,” Mr Allt-Graham said.
“Docklands is perfectly positioned for easy access to the city’s most sought after venues along with a peaceful waterfront experience. It is perfect for visitors who want to unwind on their staycation as well as indulge in city activities.”