With unleaded petrol peaking at an average of almost $2.59 a litre, and diesel at almost $3.23, Australian travellers are shifting their plans.
Those who scheduled holidays to coincide with the April school holidays are now opting to stay much closer to home.
A new survey has found that 23 percent of holidaymakers with bookings over the next three months have changed their plans to reduce the amount of travel. Of those, 36.2 percent have cut their planned journey by at least 300 kilometres.
The survey was carried out by Reflections Holidays, which manages 40 holiday parks across coastal and inland NSW.
CEO Nick Baker noted that the shift in sentiment between mid-March and Easter shows that while travellers are more cautious about costs, they remain determined to take their break.
“What our guests are telling us is that they still want to holiday, [but] they are weighing up cost and availability of fuel,” Baker said.
“Around one quarter of them are shifting their trip to a destination closer to home.
“The survey reinforces that people still want to connect with each other and with nature—and they are prioritising travelling shorter distances to have a getaway with loved ones.”
In an effort to keep guests coming to its parks, the company has started offering a $25 fuel voucher upon arrival and a fuel allowance for staff to help cover the cost of commuting to work.
The data highlights a significant concern among travellers: 48.2 percent of the 8,000 people surveyed said fuel price was having some influence on their decisions, with 41.4 percent saying fuel price was “heavily influencing” them. Only 10.4 percent remained undeterred.
Availability was also a major issue. Some 47.1 percent of respondents were heavily influenced by the fear of being unable to refuel during their journey, while 41.3 percent cited it as a secondary factor.
“Camping remains the most affordable way to holiday,” Baker said.
“Our message is, we know that you’re worried about fuel prices and availability, but there are incredible destinations to be explored not too far from your doorstep.”
Data from the Australian Institute of Petroleum confirms that for the week ending April 5, 2026, the national average for unleaded petrol peaked at 258.9 cents per litre, while diesel reached 322.9 cents per litre.
