From Lockdown To Boomtown, Regional Australia Is The Place To Be

More tourists, tree changers and job seekers are flocking to regional Australia than ever before, offering significant opportunities for advertisers to connect with audiences as Boomtown regions swell.

The Boomtown collective noted that the nation has experienced a renewed sense of “regionalism” in recent months. Aussies experiencing job loss and a desire to reconnect with family, plus the ability to work from home and a growing motivation to move away from densely populated areas, is driving many to consider relocating to regional areas.

The recently announced Federal Budget provides further stimulus for regional areas across several spending initiatives. Funds have been allocated for regional tourism to drive domestic visitors, as well as investment in community infrastructure and training and education funds to deliver digital services and technologies, according to a news.com.au report.

Regional Australia is home to many and is also a destination not just for domestic tourists, but also for people who are looking to move out of cities or looking for a career change. A recent study reveals that 75% of Australians are planning to travel to regional Australia in the near future, while one in 10 metro Australians are intending to move to a regional area once the pandemic is over.^[1]

Affordable regional areas with good infrastructure have recorded a boost in median house prices in the three months to August 2020, according to data from realestate.com.au. This follows an uplift in regional suburb enquiries as Australians seek a lifestyle change amid the health crisis. There has also been a huge spike in renter interest in Australia’s regional and coastal areas between April to August 2020, while popular inner-city regions are losing their appeal.

The continued easing of COVID-19 restrictions, an overwhelming desire to travel during this Christmas and New Year period, and the current halt on international holidays will continue to direct people regionally, with many choosing to visit – and spend – in regional areas.

Retail spending is booming across the country, with money usually spent on international travel being redirected to shopping and regional vacations. Brokers Macquarie and Jefferies estimate that Australian households will save between $61 billion and $65 billion this year on overseas travel.

Retail spending has remained strong with sales conversions up to 15% higher than the past two years, and average transaction value increasing by up to 15%, underpinning double digit retail sales growth. In addition, another survey found that more than half of respondents (57%) are expected to do at least 50% of their Christmas shopping in physical stores and 90% are keen to support local business in the lead up to Christmas.

While Boomtown has always been a powerful opportunity for advertisers to reach 8.8 million people, there are now even more reasons to invest as regional areas benefit from increased visitors and residents.

“As the desire to travel, work and live in Boomtown grows, advertisers are choosing to invest in regional campaigns to grow their own businesses, especially as regional areas benefit from a desire to get out and travel, post lockdown,” Boomtown Chairman and SCA Chief Sales Officer, Brian Gallagher, said.

“In the lead-up to Christmas, the emphasis will be on supporting local, shopping local and visiting local – and regional Australia is set to reap the rewards. Share of voice opportunities for advertisers are high, making it a perfect time to add regional to media plans and reach the huge numbers of Australians choosing to live and travel regionally.”

Prime Media Group Manager Sales and Marketing, Dave Walker, said: “As state borders start to re-open, Australians will be holidaying domestically at record levels this summer and specifically in their favourite regional holiday hotspots. It’s another good reason to invest in Boomtown.”

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