Australian Couples Have Better Relationships When They Travel, Research Finds

"Holidays provide the perfect setting for couples to deepen their connection."

A couple holding hands relaxing on deck chairs.

There’s something inherently romantic about travelling, especially with your significant other – but it turns out travelling can significantly improve your relationship, particularly where intimacy is concerned…


Thanks to COVID-19, the chance to get away was little more than an idle daydream for millions of Australians over the last few years. However, it seems that this great nation is doing everything it can to make up for lost time. We’re all keen to travel again, especially with our partners.

COVID hasn’t exactly been the best time for romance. Either you’ve been lonely in lockdown, stuck in a ‘situationship’ or you’ve seen so much of your partner that you might think going on holiday with them is the exact opposite of a break… But it turns out that travel might just be what you need to build or strengthen a romantic relationship, recent research suggests.

In order to understand the travel habits and behaviours of Australians in this post-COVID era, leading Australian travel-trek company Travello asked around 1,500 Aussies between the ages of 18 and 54 what they get up to on holiday. The results make for fascinating reading: the research reveals that romance is a key ingredient in an authentic and exhilarating travel experience, and when we say “romance”, you know exactly what we mean…

Aussies have more sex on holiday… but that’s not all. Image: Curly Tales

For an overwhelming majority, sex is a vacation priority. Whether that’s more spontaneous moments with your long-term partner or a rough-and-ready fling with an out-of-towner, over four in five Aussies – a whopping 86% – reported having more sex with their chosen partner whilst on holiday.

RELATED: Foreign Tourists Can Still Bonk In Bali, Human Rights Minister Says

But that’s not all: the sex isn’t just more regular, but freakier with 73% claiming to have more adventurous sex whilst on holiday. What counts as “adventurous”? The study cites sex outdoors, sex in public locations, and even threesomes, but you’re free to let your imagination wander.

54% of Aussies also claim to have had a holiday fling, so it might be worth brushing up on your skills and supplies

However, increased intimacy is a double-edged sword. More than half of Australians (52%) reported feeling “very uncomfortable” using the toilet for a “number two” when their partner was in the hotel room, with 76% having made an excuse to avoid using the toilet in such close quarters.

Who doesn’t love a hotel robe? Image: Pinterest

“The results of our research reveal the intimate relationship between travel and romance for Australians. It highlights the significant impact that holidays can have on personal relationships and the role that travel plays in bringing couples closer together,” Ryan Hanly, co-founder and CEO of Travello says.

“From reigniting the spark in a long-term relationship to creating new and exciting experiences with a partner, holidays provide the perfect setting for couples to deepen their connection.”

Ryan Hanly

RELATED: Contiki Is Actually The Best Way To Find A Partner

Beyond the tantalising links between bedroom and bathroom, the study also offers insight into our changing priorities and perspectives on relationships more generally.

Nearly three-quarters of participants (71%) reported needing alone time when on holiday, one in five (21%) had ended a trip early due to an argument, and one in eight (12%) had ended a relationship altogether while away.

Arguments on holidays never end well. Image: World Travel Market

Perhaps most revealing of all though was this incisive question posed to participants: would you rather meet the love of your life tomorrow but be banned from travel for the rest of your life, or never find love and be free to travel whenever and however you want?

57% picked the gold-plated plane ticket – so maybe romance is dead…

So when you’re planning your next trip abroad – whether flying solo, going away with a lover, or taking your mate on a long-overdue #bestiemoon – remember that nothing beats the transformative power of travel. Or those towel animals you get on cruises.