Who is the Typical Australian traveller?

Australians have a long-held reputation as larrikin travellers, people who seek out a good time and are rarely bothered by anything. But is that really an accurate picture of us? According to a new international study by Allianz Global Assistance, it’s not.

Allianz Global Assistance has been running it’s #HelpMe Forums Observatory since 2009. The program monitors specialised travel forums in various countries to better understand the wants and needs of local travellers, and they’ve compiled that info to paint a picture of what the main interests and concerns of travellers are.

It turns out most Australian travellers don’t just go with the flow and hope things turn out for the best after all. We stress out… and we do a heck of a lot.

Unlike Americans who are concerned about being money-smart and the French who are focused on comfort, Australians are cautious and don’t want a trip to fail, which leads us to stress in our pre-planning. To ensure we get the most out of our trip, we ask questions and investigate every scenario to help us avoid problems.

Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’ve always been the kind of person to research trips, making sure that there’s plenty of time to see things but still meet ongoing connections. There’s no point rushing from one sight to the next, stopping at a major attraction for 2 minutes, and then hurrying to the airport.

If you’re going to travel, you may as well do it properly.

One benefit of our rigorous planning is that we often get the inside scoop on where to go and what to see. The Forum Observatory found in the 12 months prior to September 2013, 4.47 million of us travelled abroad and used tips or recommendations to create our itineraries. Technology and social media play a big part in our inspiration process, helping us to create a ‘bucket list’ of sights and activities to tick off. Facebook, I’m looking at you.

Other characteristics of Australian travellers are that we love a bargain, rely heavily on technology (from smart phones to sat-navs), and we’ll happily travel alone.

What kind of traveller are you?