Travel in 2030: What the Next Five Years Will Look Like for Globetrotting Aussies

The travel world is changing, and fast. From the way we book and board to the destinations we choose and the values that shape our journeys, travel in 2030 won’t look quite like it does today. For Australians with a passport in hand (or an app in hand), the next five years offer a glimpse into a smarter, slower, and more sustainable travel future.

Here’s what’s on the horizon for Aussie globetrotters by 2030.

1. Travel Will Be Hyper-Personalised

Forget generic tour packages. By 2030, AI-powered tools will know your preferences better than you do. Want a vegan-friendly, art-focused itinerary with mid-century hotels and one hour of walking per day? You’ll be able to build that in seconds—with smart recommendations, reviews filtered for your travel style, and seamless syncing to your calendar.

Expect: Voice-driven itinerary builders, AI-generated day plans, and smart packing lists tailored to weather, destination, and your habits.

2. Airports Will Be Almost Touch-Free

Biometric passports, facial recognition gates, and digital customs declarations will make airport queues a thing of the past. Australia is already trialling digital identity tech, and by 2030, most international airports will allow you to breeze through with a glance.

Expect: App-based immigration forms, face scans for check-in, and fewer documents to carry (or lose).

3. Sustainability Will Guide Travel Choices

Carbon-conscious travel will no longer be niche—it’ll be the norm. Airlines are investing in cleaner fuel, rail travel is making a serious comeback, and travellers are thinking twice about their footprint.

Expect: Carbon tracking built into booking sites, more transparency around eco-ratings, and travel providers competing on sustainability as much as comfort.

4. Climate Will Reshape Where (and When) We Go

As climate change impacts seasons and safety, Australians will adapt. The European summer might shift to May and September as July becomes uncomfortably hot. Destinations at risk—like the Great Barrier Reef or Venice—could become more protected or restricted.

Expect: More shoulder-season travel, earlier planning for climate-sensitive areas, and growing interest in cooler, highland destinations.

5. Regional and Domestic Travel Will Boom

Australia and New Zealand will shine even brighter as climate-conscious, crowd-weary travellers seek high-quality experiences closer to home. Regional towns, Indigenous-led tourism, and lesser-known islands will offer depth and meaning without the long-haul slog.

Expect: More Aussies discovering “world-class” experiences in their own backyard—like walking with First Nations guides in Arnhem Land, stargazing in the Flinders Ranges, or kayaking in New Zealand’s Doubtful Sound.

6. The Rise of Purposeful Travel

By 2030, the idea of “going everywhere” will give way to “going deeper.” Fewer people will race through bucket lists; more will spend time understanding local culture, food, history, and ecology.

Expect: Longer stays, fewer flights, more volunteering and cultural immersion, and trips built around skills (like cooking, photography, or conservation).

While technology and global shifts will change how we travel, the core remains the same: discovery, connection, growth. Whether you’re riding a solar-powered train through Europe, staying in a rewilded eco-lodge, or joining a community project in rural Australia, travel in 2030 will still hold that spark.

We’ll just get there a little smarter—and maybe slower—than before.

Where will you go next?