‘Best value’ destinations Aussies should choose to save money in 2027

Given the state of the economy, Aussies are hunting for the best value for money holidays for 2027. But where travelling is getting cheaper may surprise you.

Two places close to home and three more much further afield claimed the ‘best value’ crown according to the Skyscanner Travel Trends 2027 Report.

Hamilton in New Zealand was just pipped to the top spot. The city on the banks of the Waikato River is known for its walks, gardens and cafés.

Tourism bosses say the North Island hub is best seen from one of the scenic riverside walks and cycleways.

Meanwhile, Okinawa in Japan - that’s the tropical part of the popular nation - also nudged into third place on the list.

It’s hailed for beaches which look like they’re straight from a holiday brochure, but thanks to the weak Yen, isn’t too taxing on the budget.

Read more

The world’s best countries for travel revealed, as Australia surges up the list

Mexico City topped the list, with Montreal in Canada in third and Austrian capital Vienna completing the top five places hailed the value destinations.

Adelaide made it onto the best value places list too, at number ten. It was the only Aussie city to make the cut.

The city is famous for the foodie haven Central Markets, Parklands and adjacent wine regions.

Skyscanner Travel expert Jarrod Kris said Aussies are chasing spots which stretch the budget with good exchange rates to save even more money.

It’s a trend the company is calling ‘currency chasers’.

“The biggest surprise is that Aussie are still determined to travel,” he told nine.com.au.

“We are so far removed from the rest of the world, it shows it a priority, and they’re probably going to make sacrifices in other areas of their life.

“They will save up and do what the need to do to get the most value and the most experience out of it.”

Almost half of Aussies often check a destination currency’s strength against their own when considering booking a trip, the research found.

And one in three travellers switched destinations to take advantage of better exchange rates.

Skyscanner says with year-on-year global searches to Vietnam have soared by 25 per cent thanks to favourable currency trends.

Trending destinations for 2027

Most Aussies could probably not even find the site’s biggest trending destination for 2027 on a map.

Kyrgyzstan is continuing the rising popularity of the ‘stans’ in Central Asia.

It’s famous for isolated landscapes such as Song-Kol lake and nomadic adventures on horseback, eagle-hunting, and yurt stays.

The site says its search popularity has shot up by more than 800 per cent.

“Kyrgyzstan is surging,” Jarrod said. “I think people want to disconnect, 65 per cent of travellers are saying they want to reconnect with nature.

“It’s probably going to be easier to do that in more remote locations than it will be in a city.”

Read more

Nearly half of older travellers giving up the ‘Aussie dream’ for holidays

Lord Howe Island was the only place in Australia to make the international trending list. It allows just 400 visitors at a time, also making it a peaceful haven.

Meanwhile, when asked if air fares will drop in 2027, Jarrod can’t predict what will happen.

But he did say Middle Eastern hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi are keen to get tourists back.

“The one thing is when that does settle eventually they will be hungry to have visitors,” he said.

Trending Destinations 2027

1. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
2. Marseille, France
3. Iloilo, Philippines
4. Lord Howe Island, Australia
5. Da Nang, Vietnam
6. Tbilisi, Georgia
7. Hamburg, Germany
8. Praya, Indonesia
9. Shenzhen, China
10. Copenhagen, Denmark

Best Value Destinations 2027

1. Mexico City, Mexico
2. Hamilton, New Zealand
3. Montreal, Canada
4. Okinawa, Japan
5. Vienna, Austria
6. Ankara, Türkiye
7. Prague, Czechia
8. Medan, Indonesia
9. Fuzhou, China
10. Adelaide, Australia