Australia: From Growth to Revenue Optimisation

Key Annual Metrics (Market Averages)

2025 Performance Drivers

• Pricing-led growth supported 2025 performance, with ADR increasing meaningfully versus 2024 and lifting revenue per night while occupancy remained healthy.
• Peak-season concentration was evident, as the strongest months - particularly June to August - carried a large share of annual performance and supported higher rates.
• Premium inventory uplift contributed disproportionately to market averages, with higher-end listings consistently achieving stronger ADRs.
• Event-driven demand spikes from festivals, conferences, and holiday periods created pockets of outperformance in specific clusters.

Sydney

Sydney’s pacing shows a seasonal softening in both occupancy and RevPAN as the market moves away from the January peak. While this decline follows a normal post-summer pattern, 2026 is generally pacing in line with or slightly above last year, indicating stable underlying demand rather than a structural slowdown

What Beyond's Data Shows:

• The market is behaving seasonally as expected: strong summer peak, rapid shoulder-season softening, and late booking for winter/early spring.
• There is no evidence of structural demand weakness relative to last year; pacing differences are driven by timing and lead-time effects.

Recommended Next Actions:

• Protect peak-season performance by maintaining pricing discipline where RevPAN is outperforming, and demand continues to absorb higher rates.
• Avoid overreacting to softer forward pacing in May–June, as these months typically book closer to arriva,l and early softness should not trigger broad discounting.
• Monitor pickup on a weekly basis and adjust pricing dynamically as demand materialises nearer to stay dates.
• Enable gap-fill rules and shorter stays to ensure improving occupancy continues to translate into stronger RevPAN.
• Identify top-converting listings early in the year and replicate successful pricing and availability strategies into shoulder months.

Perth

Perth shows a strong January peak followed by normal seasonal softening through April. Occupancy is pacing slightly ahead of last year while ADRs remain elevated, allowing early-year pricing to convert into positive RevPAN. Performance reflects seasonality rather than demand weakness, with revenue capture strongest in the first quarter.

What Beyond's Data Shows:

• Perth shows a classic seasonal pattern: strong summer peak, rapid post-summer softening, and late booking behaviour for winter and spring.
• Occupancy pacing ahead of last year, combined with higher ADRs, points to stable underlying demand, not market weakness.

Recommended Next Actions:

• Protect early-year pricing by maintaining pricing discipline where RevPAN is outperforming and demand continues to absorb higher rates.
• Stay responsive as demand builds by monitoring pickup weekly from March onwards and adjusting pricing dynamically to capture short-lead demand without overcorrecting too early.
• Use flexibility to support conversion by enabling gap fills and shorter stays on underperforming dates, ensuring occupancy gains translate into sustained RevPAN.
  

Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is a highly leisure-driven short-term rental market, with performance closely tied to school holidays and seasonal travel patterns. Demand peaks sharply during the summer months and softens outside holiday periods, resulting in pronounced seasonality and late booking behaviour. Early-2026 pacing shows healthy peak-season performance and stable demand relative to last year, with revenue performance hinging on disciplined peak pricing and responsive adjustments as winter demand begins to build.

What Beyond's Data Shows:

• Gold Coast shows a highly seasonal, leisure-led pattern, with sharp summer peaks and late booking behaviour outside holiday periods.
• Occupancy pacing ahead of last year, combined with stable pricing, suggests healthy underlying demand, not market weakness.

Recommended Next Actions:

• Maintain pricing discipline where demand clearly absorbs higher rates.
• Avoid overreacting to low mid-year pacing. May and June bookings typically materialise closer to arrival; early softness should not trigger broad discounting.
• Stay responsive ahead of winter demand. Monitor pickup closely from May onwards and adjust pricing dynamically to capture short-lead bookings as winter travel demand builds.
  

Seasonality & Pacing signals

• Occupancy is pacing ahead year over year, indicating stronger forward demand and improved booking momentum.
• Clear seasonal shape, with stronger mid-year demand. Occupancy softens after January, then rebounds into June–July, where 2026 pacing peaks (~19–21%), outperforming last year and signalling a healthy winter demand cycle.
• Pricing power is elevated across the year. Average posted rates for 2026 are materially higher than 2025 in every month, rising steadily from January through July, with particularly strong ADR expansion into the winter peak.
• The combination of higher ADRs and higher occupancy confirms that demand is absorbing price increases, supporting positive RevPAN and indicating solid market health rather than price resistance.
• Lower occupancy visible from September onwards reflects longer booking windows for later months, consistent with historical patterns rather than weakening demand.

How to Get Ahead in 2026

• Recover near-term bookings (0–90 days)
  Apply targeted, time-bound promotions on underperforming dates and monitor pickup weekly to quickly lift conversion.
• Reduce booking friction on weak windows
  Lower minimum stays, enable gap-fill rules, and loosen check-in constraints where occupancy is lagging.
• Protect peak periods where demand is proven
  Maintain disciplined pricing and tighter stay controls during winter peak weeks and key holiday or event periods.
• Layer in events and cluster-level insights
  Identify demand spikes driven by events or school holidays and prioritise high-opportunity cities and clusters with tailored pricing and availability strategies.