Holidaymakers staying in Australia for the festive season are most likely to travel to the Gold Coast in Queensland, new research has suggested.

The popular sunshine destination came ahead of other hotspots such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in a poll by accommodation site wotif.com.

Other highly-placed locations for an Australian Christmas break included the likes of Perth and Adelaide, while Canberra was ranked at 14th.

"The tradition of Christmas at the beach is very much alive," commented Saskia Moon of wotif.com.

Meanwhile, two destinations in Tasmania - Hobart and the Launceston and Tamar Valley - placed in the top ten, indicating that a sunshine break is not for everyone during the festive period, Ms Moon remarked.

The Gold Coast is famous for its spectacular beaches, rainforest scenery, theme parks and golfing facilities. Upcoming events in the area include the Big Day Out music festival on January 20th.

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