16 August, 2011

Christmas 2011 bookings start early: Raine & Horne

The summer holidays are still more than four months away, but already some of NSW’s favourite Christmas getaways are booking fast, according to leading real estate group Raine & Horne.

In Sydney’s north, Glenn Lee, Raine & Horne Palm Beach principal, said all the indicators pointed to a solid holiday season for Whale Beach and Palm Beach.

“We’ve already taken an $80,000 booking for the Christmas fortnight, as well as another $40,000 booking for the same period,” Mr Lee said.

“This is pleasing given the strong Australian dollar was assumed to be making an overseas holiday a more popular option for many Australian holiday makers this summer.”

Likewise there was some conjecture the strength of the dollar might make Australia a less attractive travel destination for overseas visitors, yet Mr Lee said the majority of the early bookings were Australian expatriates living in Asia, Europe and North America.

“The value of the Australian dollar doesn’t affect these high-net worth individuals who want to catch up with family and friends and enjoy a barefoot paradise holiday running on the sand or learning to surf.

“They want to escape the busy lifestyles in places such as Hong Kong and Singapore, or the cold North American winter, and there is no better place to be than Whale Beach or Palm Beach at Christmas.”

The early start to the Christmas booking season wasn't only confined to Sydney, with Adam Porteous, Raine & Horne Batemans Bay principal, confirming holiday makers were also reserving South Coast getaways.

“Around 40% of our properties are booked for the peak Christmas/New Year fortnight,” Mr Porteous said.

“This is about 15% more than this time last year and is surprising given the strength of the Australian dollar.”

Mr Porteous attributed the stronger bookings to concerns about international political instability in some parts of the world.

“These issues are playing on the minds of some holiday makers, while many of our summer visitors are from rural communities such as Griffith, Yass and Albury, and overseas travel is not often a high priority at Christmas time.

“It’s been a good year for many of them, with decent rainfalls, and they have money to spend and just want to see the beach and sand at Christmas,” he said.

On the Far North Coast of NSW, Denise Jillett, Raine & Horne Yamba principal, said holiday occupancies were already at 78% for the Christmas/New Year period.

“To be fair, we get a lot of repeat business year in year out,” Ms Jillett said.

“Some people have been coming to the same holiday properties for over 25 years. We are already holding full deposits on all bookings and are looking forward to a busy holiday season.

“Over 60% of our Christmas visitors are from rural communities in the central west of NSW, New England and south east Queensland. 

“For the majority of our visitors, Yamba is within a three to four hour drive of where they live. They love our beaches, river system and the relaxed coastal lifestyle Yamba offers.

“Being within easy driving distance of their homes also enables them to get home fast should any unforeseen artificial or natural disasters such as floods or bushfires occur, which can potentially affect their homes and properties,” Ms Jillett said.

Raine & Horne is an iconic Australian property firm, with more than 360 offices worldwide. Also an established Superbrand along with Qantas, Vegemite, Woolworths and Myer, the company has four distinct property service brands including Raine & Horne Residential, Raine & Horne Commercial, Raine & Horne Rural and Raine & Horne Financial.

-ENDS-

For further media information contact:

Glenn Lee, Principal Raine & Horne Palm Beach, 0416 205 996

Adam Porteous, Principal Raine & Horne Batemans Bay, 0414 726 014

Denise Jillett, Principal Raine & Horne Yamba, 0439 462 474

Anna Truman, National Marketing & Communications Co-ordinator, 02 9258 5448