Virtuoso puts Japan first for ANZ solo travel
Virtuoso presented its 2027 Luxe Report: Australia & New Zealand at Bennelong restaurant in the Sydney Opera House on 30 September 2026. Misty Belles, the network's vice president of global public relations, led the briefing. Travel Daily reported the findings on 2 October 2026.
Japan takes first place among solo destinations for travellers from Australia and New Zealand. Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Croatia follow. Japan also holds first place among international destinations for a second consecutive year.
Health and wellness leads the solo experience list for 2027 after climbing four places. Guided tours rank second, expedition cruising third and adventure travel or trekking fourth. Women-only solo travel enters the list at fifth, cited by 32 per cent of advisors.
"In the Virtuoso world, 68% of solo travellers are female," Belles said at the briefing.
Australia ranks tenth among ANZ solo destinations and New Zealand ranks seventh. More than 3,100 advisors in more than 50 countries answered the survey, and more than 400 of them work in Australia and New Zealand.
Belles described the shift in the buyer's question. "It really is becoming more about what experiences they want to do once they are in destination," she said at the briefing.
Antarctica leads the rising list
Expedition cruising is a growing solo segment, and Antarctica leads the destinations on the rise out of Australia and New Zealand. It also takes first place for adventure travel and cruise itineraries.
On the forward read, 57 per cent of surveyed advisors expect a slight increase in luxury leisure travel for 2027 and 19 per cent expect significant growth. Seventy per cent expect spending per trip to rise.
The day-room shelf in the same two markets
Operators in Australia and New Zealand sell daytime inventory alongside the overnight room. Dayuse listed 296 day hotels in Australia and 66 in New Zealand on 13 October 2026. Day rates on the Australian country page run from US$55.56 to US$195.86, and the New Zealand page runs from US$44.51 to US$115.49.
ibis Mackay publishes US$55.56 for a 9am to 3pm window against US$72.23 overnight. The Inchcolm in Spring Hill, Brisbane publishes US$195.86 for 10am to 6pm or noon to 8pm. NOA Hotel in Epsom, Auckland publishes US$44.51 for 8am to 3pm or 10am to 7pm against US$81.69 overnight. InterContinental Wellington publishes US$115.49 for 9am to 4pm against US$199.43.
Forty-eight of the fifty Australian cards and all fifty New Zealand cards price the day window below the property's own overnight rate. The discount on those cards runs from 5 per cent to 59 per cent in Australia and 11 per cent to 69 per cent in New Zealand.
Arrow on Swanston in Carlton, Melbourne publishes US$65.29 for 8am to 4pm, 10am to 4.30pm or 2pm to 10pm, and carries a pool, a spa and a sauna. Wellness is the first tag on that card.
A solo booking is one guest in one room. A property that publishes a day window and an overnight rate on the same room gives that guest a second way to book. Virtuoso reports women at 68 per cent of its solo bookings and wellness first on the experience list for 2027.