New Stayz data shows more than 50 per cent of holiday houses in popular coastal destinations such as Shoalhaven and Byron Bay are already booked for summer.
Stayz is an online marketplace that connects travellers with short-term holiday rental properties such as beach houses, cabins and family apartments.
Stayz Travel Expert Sarah King said: “The classic Australian summer holiday is still very much centred around gathering family and friends and splitting the cost of a holiday home by the coast.
“We’re already seeing strong demand across many of Australia’s favourite beach destinations, with holiday homes filling up ahead of the peak summer period.”
For travellers yet to book, Stayz data suggests flexibility can pay off. The final week of January is shaping up as one of the best-value periods of the summer season, with holiday homes on average up to 45 per cent less than Christmas week, while also benefiting from fewer crowds.
“Holiday homes are a little different to hotels,” Ms King said. “Once a property is booked, it’s no longer available to other travellers, so booking ahead can mean more choice. For those with flexibility, travelling later in January can also offer better value and greater availability.”
Stayz also suggests looking beyond the coast for more availability: While coastal destinations continue to dominate demand, travellers looking for more choice this summer may want to consider inland destinations that still have strong holiday home availability, including the Southern Highlands.
The latest Tourism Research Australia data shows NSW was number one nationally for domestic visitors, nights and expenditure in the year ending June 2026, with 126.4 million domestic visitors travelling to the state during the period, including 64 million visitors to regional NSW.
The top three domestic overnight visitor destinations during the period were the North Coast, hunter and South Coast.
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