Uber has released its latest Movement Index, revealing the changes to travel and food habits of Australians one year on from the first COVID-19 confirmed case in the country. 

The results show that the nation is continuing to band together to help rebuild the economy, with domestic tourism and weekend trips climbing across the country. 

Support for local restaurants also continues to grow, following the easing of lockdown measures. Compared to January last year, pick-up orders have almost doubled across all capital and regional cities, showing the habits we picked up during lockdown are here to stay. 

Key findings include:

  • Australians have been hitting the road, utilising rideshare for long-distance travel (<50km) in increasing numbers.
  • There was a 400% uptake in pick-up orders year on year (YoY) as locals and holidaymakers in Adelaide, Hobart, Perth and the Gold Coast continued to embrace the feature, which allows consumers to order through the app and pick up in store.
  • Hobart experienced an 1151% growth in passengers travelling to and from the airport in Q4 2020
  • Geelong witnessed 111% growth in meal orders YoY. 
  • Byron Bay remains a popular destination for Sydneysiders, but they are also exploring other parts of regional NSW such as Bathurst, Dubbo, Coffs Harbour and Newcastle. 
  • Delivery of grocery and other top up items remain higher than pre-COVID levels, showing that the demand for e-commerce is here to stay.

The Index is the second report released by Uber in the wake of COVID-19, and shows the changing patterns of demand across mobility and delivery in the second half of 2020 to January 2021, compared to January, April and July of last year.  

Key findings, analysis and commentary from Uber spokespeople along with a full Movement Index Report can be found here.