With the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island currently crammed with holiday makers it comes as no surprise that the classic Australian beach house still tops the list for travellers as the most appealing home for Aussies to book.

Research commissioned by online travel platform booking.com found that 61 per cent of percent of travellers prefer a beach house location, followed by country cottages and cosy cabins both at (40 per cent) and city apartments (35 per cent).

The research also found many Aussies are also looking for more unique travel experiences off the beaten track, such as farm stays (26 per cent), houseboats (25 per cent), chalet/snow stays (17 per cent), and tiny homes (16 per cent).

Surveyed travellers say the most important factors in booking a holiday stay were no hidden costs or additional service costs (70 per cent), a simplified and easy booking process (62 per cent) and confidence that once their booking is made it’s guaranteed (62 per cent) - with half (50 per cent) of Aussies saying being able to see past reviews on the property was the most important factor.

After an unpredictable two years of COVID restrictions, half of Aussies (51 per cent) say that having the ability to cancel last minute and get a full refund/credit on a booking site, was a key factor when booking a home. While one third (33 per cent) say that it is most important that they can cancel at the last minute and get a proportion of the cost refunded.

The research also found that 87 per cent of holiday homeowners found it easy to convert their house into short term rentals for travellers with 95 per cent using booking platforms.