International Holidays 33 Percent More Expensive Than Pre-COVID

Travelling overseas is significantly more expensive than before the pandemic, and the cost has risen at a much faster rate than domestic travel. New Finder research shows domestic holidays are 19 percent more expensive than pre-COVID, while international holidays now cost 33 percent more.

Australians are spending an average of $6,765 on international trips, according to Finder. Accommodation is the most expensive component at $2,343 on average, closely followed by flights at $2,153. Finder’s travel expert, Angus Kidman said higher demand had pushed prices up. “International travel has become more costly as pent-up demand and the peak European summer season coincide.” Other factors that have made international travel more expensive in 2023 include higher jet fuel prices, staff shortages at airlines and airports, worldwide inflation and airlines being slow to return all their planes to the sky following their fleets’ grounding during COVID-19.

But higher costs have not deterred people from heading abroad. Australians are making up for lost time, with ‘COVID revenge travel’ prompting many to head overseas this year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, leisure dominated overseas travel intentions in FY23, with 53 percent of travellers going overseas for a holiday, 32 percent travelling to visit friends and family and only 6 percent heading overseas on business.

Government forecasts show Aussies will keep travelling overseas in 2024 despite the significantly higher costs, and demand is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels by the end of the new year. However, there are signs that the cost-of-living crisis is starting to bite, and 2024 may the last big year of revenge travel before Australians tighten their belts. According to the Tourism Forecasts for Australia 2023 to 2028 report: “In 2023, 9.8 million resident returns are expected, which would be 86 percent of the pre-pandemic level. This increases to 11.3 million resident returns in 2024, which is nearing parity with the number of resident returns in 2019. Looking forward, cost-of-living and budget pressures in Australia are expected to weigh on outbound travel growth. Compared to last year’s forecasts, the profile for outbound growth is very similar. However, high global travel costs and reduced household savings in Australia have had a mild dampening effect.”

Finder says 54 percent of Australians intend to travel in the new year, with 15 percent heading overseas, 14 per cent intending to travel both overseas and domestically, and 25 percent planning to holiday only in Australia. Online travel agent KAYAK says searches for 2024 flights are up dramatically. “As Aussies, travel is in our DNA and despite macroeconomic uncertainties it looks like many Aussies are still struck by the travel bug, with searches for flights to both international and domestic destinations up 47 percent for travel over the next 12 months compared to last year,” said brand director Nicola Carmichael.

Top 10 overseas destinations for Australians in 2023

Indonesia
United States
United Kingdom
Italy
Thailand
France
New Zealand
Japan
Singapore
Vietnam

Source: Finder Travel Inflation Report

If you are planning to celebrate properly this year, your Champagne list needs to work as hard as your social calendar.

So we asked Tamara Grischy, General Manager at LANGTONS, to curate a line-up of bottles tailored to every key moment of the festive season, from the end-of-year company party to that final New Year’s Eve toast.

Her selection moves from richly styled magnums and Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs to benchmark prestige cuvées, with each Champagne chosen to shine in a specific setting, whether a seafood-laden long lunch, a beach escape, or an evening with a serious wine collector.

All you need to do is pick your occasion, chill the bottle and let the celebrations take care of themselves.

To open at the end of the year work party

GOSSET Grande Reserve Brut, Champagne MV Magnum, $275

Gosset Grande Reserve Brut from magnum makes a celebratory statement at any end-of-year party thanks to its rich winemaking heritage—blending Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier sourced from premier and grand cru vineyards, and aged for a minimum of four years, all from the oldest winemaking house in Champagne, established in 1584.

With top critic scores (91 Robert Parker, 92 James Suckling, 90 Wine Spectator) and a style that avoids malolactic fermentation to preserve freshness and a racy tension, the team will love the vibrant orchard fruit, subtle pastry notes, and a long, elegant finish in every glass.

To enjoy during a long weekend away at the beach

BLIARD-MORISET Brut Blanc de blancs Grand cru, Champagne NV, $85

Bliard-Moriset Brut Blanc de blancs Grand cru is made entirely from Chardonnay grown in the renowned Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger—a perfect match for seafood or a fresh beach lunch, with elegant balance and lively citrus freshness shaped by over 40% reserve wine and a minimum 24 months’ ageing on lees.

Produced with careful manual harvesting and sustainable, integrated viticulture, this Champagne offers precise orchard fruit and a crisp, lingering finish, making it an uplifting companion to a relaxed coastal escape.

To pair with a fresh seafood platter during summer

VAZART-COQUART & FILS 82/15 Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, $260

Vazart-Coquart & Fils 82/15 Blanc de Blancs, crafted entirely from Grand Cru Chouilly Chardonnay and based on a perpetual reserve dating back to 1982, delivers exceptional

freshness, finesse, and complexity—making it a standout match for a summer seafood platter.

Fine notes of citrus, white flowers, and sea spray, along with an energetic and saline finish, cut perfectly through the richness of shellfish and oysters, celebrating the bounty of the season with precision and style.

To share with loved ones at the Christmas lunch table

KRUG 171st Edition, $471.99

Krug 171st Edition is the choice for Christmas lunch, blending 131 wines from 12 different years, including reserve wines as old as 2000, to deliver a deep and complex Champagne with bright freshness and layers of festive spice, citrus, brioche and toasted almond.

Awarded 99 points by leading critics, its vibrant mousse and long, elegant finish provide the perfect toast to family and togetherness, enhancing every special dish and sparkling conversation at the festive table.

To open with the fellow wine fanatic in your life

JACQUES SELOSSE Champagne Selosse Brut Rosé, $1,600

Jacques Selosse Brut Rosé is the perfect bottle to open with a fellow wine fanatic, offering rare complexity from an artisanal blending of two vintages of Avize Chardonnay with Pinot Noir from Ambonnay, aged in Burgundian barrels and matured for six years on lees before release.

This Champagne, often described as one of the world’s most thrilling rosés, serves up layers of wild strawberry, pomegranate, honey and spice, with electric acidity and a notably long finish—a benchmark grower Champagne that invites discussion and admiration from even the most seasoned enthusiasts.

To pop when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve

TAITTINGER Comtes de Champagne Rosé, Champagne 2011, $579

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé from 2011 is a prestige vintage, made only in exceptional years and comprising Grand Cru Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including a generous proportion of still red wine from Bouzy to achieve a beautiful depth of colour and aromatic intensity.

With layers of wild strawberry, cherry, orange zest, pastry and a fine mineral finish—plus a 96-point rating from James Suckling—its energy, elegance, and celebratory flair make it the ultimate bottle for that first toast of the new year.