In a cruel irony, the ACT has been listed the least appealing winter destination for Australian travellers, just as VisitCanberra launches its Destination Canberra Conference tomorrow.

With this morning’s minimum temperature of minus-7 degrees Celsius, the survey results from travel insurance provider, insureandGo, come as no surprise. Balmy Queensland, of course, is the most preferred domestic destination, winning over 35 per cent of the 1001 people surveyed.

Most survey respondents prefer to holiday near the white stuff in winter – sand, not ice. The three types of holidays that most appealed to respondents were beach holidays (probably not Canberra’s new Acton Beach), city trips, and cruises (probably not on Lake Burley Griffin).

Canberra’s lack of appeal during winter is not through lack of trying, with the City Renewal Authority putting on a Winter in the City program with ice-skating and snow play. We do know how to capitalise on our frigid temperatures. Try putting on an outdoor ice-skating rink, Cairns. Or snow play in Brisbane, for that matter.

But the numbers don’t lie. The ACT appealed to just one per cent of the 1001 Australians surveyed. Cheer up, though. Our visitor numbers for the year ending December 2022 were 5.2 million visitors generating $2.8 billion total expenditure. Our visitors are just fair-weather friends.

So, as VisitCanberra holds its Destination Canberra Conference tomorrow at Hotel Realm, perhaps they should just accept that Canberra winters aren’t for everybody.

Only true locals will be hardy enough to brave tomorrow morning’s nude charity swim in Lake Burley Griffin to celebrate the winter solstice and raise funds for Lifeline Canberra.

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