Google reveals country Australians prefer to travel to over NZ

Google Australia has revealed the top-searched travel destinations of the past two decades. Photo / Dan Freeman; Unsplash

Australia's most used search engine has revealed the travel queries and secret desires asked by travellers across the Tasman.

Google has revealed that, for the past two decades, Australia's most searched travel destination has been Japan.

Aotearoa comes in as the second most searched, followed by Thailand.

Marking 20 years of Google.com.au this October, the search engine has been looking back at historic trends from the past two decades.

Taking the long view on search data, the report shows prior to the pandemic the Land of the Rising Sun was in the ascendant in holiday searches and with independent bookers from Aus.

In the run up to the Tokyo Olympic Games - between 2017 and 2018 - search interest from Australia rose 324 per cent, bumping nearest neighbours New Zealand into second place.

While during the pandemic Aussies have been looking closer to home in their travel searches, it looks as if international travel is about to take off again.

Japan has been the number 1 travel search for Australians over the past two decades. Photo / Su San Lee, Unsplash

The recent announcement of Japan's intention to ease Covid-19 related border restrictions this month has rekindled travellers' interest in the country. Since the first announcement in May, interest in the country and related searches for "Japanese travel restrictions" boomed by over 1150 per cent.

Google search data following the pandemic shows another country that has been top of mind for travellers in New Zealand and Australia.

Searches for "Fijian language" and "Fiji travel requirements" have seen an increase over 450 per cent during the past 12 months via the keyboards of Kiwis, and over 4000 per cent for Australians.

Fiji has seen search interest grow in New Zealand and Australia over the past two years. Photo / Dan Freeman, Unsplash

One of the first countries in the Pacific to reopen to international tourists, the Fijian tourism board says that it has reaped the rewards. A spokesperson for Tourism Fiji says that, despite a difficult period of international travel restrictions, the country's international arrivals numbers have already exceeded 2019 levels.

The top break out travel trends of the past three years from Australia have been "travel insurance covid", "Victoria travel restrictions" and "NZ travel bubble".

Prior to the pandemic, the number 1 "travel related"

Google search from Australia

was: "Time travel".

Google's top searched travel locations of the past 20 years:

1. Japan

2. New Zealand

3. Thailand

4. Vietnam

5. Tasmania

6. Australia

7. Cambodia

8. Bali

9. NSW

10. Borneo

Top searched types of travel in Australia:

1.Time travel

2. International travel

3. Student travel

4. Last minute travel

5. Smart travel

6. Space travel

7. Load and go travel

8. Air travel

9. World travel

10. Cheap travel