Retro revival: Why nostalgia is powering a new kind of travel

Australians are choosing to slow things down and bring the joy back to holidaying.

There’s a reason your dream holiday suddenly looks like a pastel motel, a vinyl bar or a road trip your parents took in the ’80s. Travel is in the middle of a full-blown retro revival, and nostalgia has become one of the most powerful forces shaping where and how we go on holiday.

Somewhere between the burnout, the endless scrolling and the pressure to see and do everything, Australian travellers have started craving something different. Not newer. Not faster. Just… simpler.

Welcome to retro revival travel, where the goal is not chasing the next big thing but reconnecting with places and experiences that feel familiar, comforting and timeless. From retro motels and old school road trips to heritage hotels, vinyl bars and analogue experiences, Australians are embracing nostalgia as a powerful way to travel.

It is not about novelty or dressing up for the sake of it. This is travel rooted in memory, emotion and a desire to slow down. And it is shaping where Australians are going and how they want to experience it.

Why nostalgia travel is resonating with Australians

More Australians are embarking on nostalgic road trips. (Image: Jordan McArthur, Mattea Carson)

Australian travellers are exhausted. Rising costs, packed itineraries, and an always-on digital life have changed how we think about holidays. More than ever, people want trips that feel grounding rather than overwhelming.

Nostalgia delivers that. Psychologists call it rosy retrospection. When life feels uncertain, we look back to moments that felt safe, joyful and uncomplicated. Travel is becoming a way to recreate that feeling, whether it is revisiting childhood holiday towns or choosing stays that feel like they belong to another era.

Millennials are driving much of the trend, fuelled by memories of caravan parks, coastal motels and long summer drives. Gen Z is following close behind, discovering retro aesthetics through film, fashion and social media and then seeking them out in real life. The result is a collective shift away from high-stress travel and toward experiences that feel slower and more personal.

The many ways retro revival travel shows up

Retro revival is not one thing. It is a collection of travel styles that share the same emotional core.

The great Australian road trip comeback

Nothing beats a trip to the Great Ocean Road. (Image: We Are Explorers)

Few experiences tap into nostalgia like an Australian road trip. Long coastal drives, inland highways and regional loops are back in favour, not as fast point-to-point journeys, but as the holiday itself.

Travellers are seeking out classic routes dotted with country bakeries, servo stops, roadside attractions, Big Things and pubs that look much the same as they did decades ago. Think the Great Ocean Road done slowly, the South Coast of NSW with motel stops, or a Queensland coastal drive punctuated by old school holiday towns.

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Australia’s retro motel renaissance

retro hotel — Retro-themed motels combine nostalgia with modern comfort. (Image: Kyneton Springs Motel)

Once dismissed as tired, motels are now one of the most exciting accommodation categories in Australia. Across NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, mid-century motels are being thoughtfully revived rather than replaced.

These stays celebrate their original bones. Curved brickwork, pastel tiles, neon signage and poolside rooms are paired with modern comforts and local food and drink. They feel nostalgic without being kitsch.

Motels like these are particularly appealing because they feel approachable. They remind Australians of childhood holidays while still offering a stylish, grown-up experience.

Heritage hotels and old school stays

Hyatt Canberra Hotel is one of the heritage hotels known for its Art Deco style.

Alongside motels, heritage hotels are seeing renewed interest, especially those that lean into their history. From grand country pubs to art deco city hotels and coastal guesthouses, Australians are choosing accommodation that feels lived in.

These stays offer something many modern hotels do not. A sense of place. Original details. Stories embedded in the walls. For travellers seeking nostalgia, it is not about luxury in the traditional sense. It is about atmosphere.

Vintage food, drink and nightlife

Birdsville Hotel at sunset — Classic pubs always stay relevant. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Retro revival extends well beyond where Australians sleep. It shapes where they eat and drink, too.

Old school milk bars, classic pubs, Italian-style cafes, vinyl listening bars and throwback cocktail lounges are becoming destination experiences in their own right. These venues feel familiar, unpretentious and rooted in community.

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Analogue experiences and slower travel

analog photography — Analogue photography is loved for its slower, more intentional experience. (Image: Getty Images/Maria Casinos)

One of the strongest signals of nostalgic travel is the return to analogue moments. Travellers are deliberately unplugging and choosing experiences that encourage presence.

Scenic rail journeys, heritage trams, ferry rides and historic walking trails are all seeing renewed interest. So too are hobbies that slow things down. Film photography, journaling, record shopping and sending postcards.

“I left my smartwatch at home," says Brisbane traveller Laura Finch after a recent trip through Tasmania. “I didn’t want to track steps or time. I just wanted to be there."

Why retro revival is not going anywhere

Retro revival travel is more than an aesthetic trend. It reflects a deeper shift in how Australians value holidays.

As travel becomes more accessible and more commercial, meaning has become the new luxury. Travellers want experiences that feel human, personal and emotionally resonant.

Nostalgia travel offers exactly that. A sense of belonging. A reminder of who we were. And a slower, gentler way to explore Australia.

In a world that keeps speeding up, travelling back in time might just be the most modern choice of all.

With more than 60 nationalities calling it home and a century of Italian influence shaping its paddocks and plates, Griffith is a regional Australian town with serious culinary cred.

It might feel surprising to learn that Griffith is one of Australia’s leading food destinations. In-the-know Italians have understood this for generations, drawn to the Riverina region’s fertile soils that reminded them of the terrain they’d left behind more than a century ago. These days, Griffith supplies much of the nation’s pantry: 95 per cent of Australia’s prunes come from the region, it’s the country’s largest citrus-growing area, and it’s a leading producer of almonds and walnuts. Even the pickles in every McDonald’s burger nationwide are produced in Griffith. This is not just a farming town; the Griffith food scene is leading the way.

Here, culinary confidence is rooted in migration. Italian families began arriving from 1913, with a second wave settling after the Second World War. Today, Griffith has the highest proportion of Italian ancestry of any Local Government Area in Australia. Add to that more than 60 nationalities represented across the community and you have a town where food is driven not by trends, but by tradition. Griffith’s motto, ‘Taste our culture’, isn’t marketing spin; it’s the reality.

Where the vines tell a story

A hand pouring wine into a glass, with a table filled with food. — Uncover the stories behind every glass. (Image: Destination NSW)

The Riverina has long been dubbed the food bowl of Australia, but it’s also a wine region that remains largely under the radar. What sets Griffith apart is that every one of its wineries is family-owned, many spanning generations.

Calabria Family Wines is one of the region’s standard-bearers. The Calabria story began in 1945 when Francesco Calabria planted his first vines; today, the family continues to shape the region’s identity while also stewarding the historic McWilliam’s Wines brand. McWilliam’s was the first winery to plant vines in the area, and its barrel-shaped cellar door – complete with a soaring stained-glass window – remains one of the most distinctive in regional NSW.

Yarran Wines, run by the Brewer family, showcases estate-grown fruit across Mediterranean varietals that thrive in the warm climate. Expect bold reds and textured whites that reflect both heritage and innovation.

Set inside the old ambulance station, Harvest HQ is owned and operated by the Riverina Winemakers Association and pours a rotating selection of local wines under one roof. It also features spirits from The Aisling Distillery, reinforcing the region’s collaborative approach to craft.

At the table

A flat lay of a steak. — Dine where tradition meets a bold new generation. (Image: Visit Griffith)

If the vineyards tell one story, the dining rooms tell another. Griffith’s restaurants are where tradition and next-gen confidence meet.

Zecca Handmade Italian occupies the former Rural Bank building, an imposing Art Deco landmark from the late 1930s. ‘Zecca’ means money print, and the name is a nod to the Zecca di Venezia in Venice. Here, find the Riverina’s only producer of dried artisan pasta and traditional Italian recipes. Importantly, the growers and producers supplying the kitchen are listed on the menu as a transparent expression of the region’s farm-to-table ethos.

Established in 1977 and still run by the Vico family, La Scala puts authentic Italian cuisine on centre stage. Expect handmade pasta, traditional wood-fired pizzas, slow-cooked sauces and dishes that follow recipes guarded like family heirlooms. For something more contemporary, Bull & Bell in Gem Hotel is a shrine to the Euro-style steakhouse that works closely with local farmers and artisans to showcase Riverina produce.

And then there are the institutions. Bertoldo’s Pasticceria, now in its third generation, draws locals daily for cannoli, biscotti, crostoli and house-made gelato, alongside classic sausage rolls and potato pies. La Piccola Grosseria feels like stepping into an Italian alimentari, its shelves lined with continental goods that wouldn’t feel out of place in Puglia.

Meanwhile, Limone celebrates local and seasonal produce across breakfast and lunch menus, enriched by the produce and stories of Piccolo Family Farm. Find pastries and sourdough baked daily, and pop into the onsite retail pantry for products from regional producers – including the Piccolo family’s own wine range, Caro Piccolo.

From the source

A plated Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod dish. — Taste world-renowned Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod, straight from its source. (Image: Visit Griffith)

Behind every menu is a producer. Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod is perhaps Griffith’s most high-profile export; the brand’s Murray cod and Aquna Gold Murray Cod Caviar have achieved global recognition. In October 2024, Aquna presented its products to King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the NSW Premier’s Community BBQ in Parramatta. Impressed by the producer’s sustainable farming practices, the King requested the cod be sent to Buckingham Palace – not bad for a fish farm in regional NSW.

Mandolé Orchard champions almonds grown on a family-run farm, transforming them into almond milk and value-added products. At Morella Grove, olives are pressed into premium olive oil and pantry staples that speak to Griffith’s Mediterranean heart. These producers are not peripheral; they are central to the town’s culinary ecosystem. Learn about local sustainable farming practices during a farm tour.

Mark your calendar

A woman walking past a food mural, something you can spot during A Taste of Italy Griffith. — Plan your visit around A Taste of Italy Griffith. (Image: Visit Griffith)

For a town that helps stock Australia’s supermarkets, Griffith has remained curiously absent from the national dining conversation. That’s beginning to change. If you’ve been searching for a regional food destination with substance, heritage and a clear sense of identity, you’ll find it here in the Riverina, right under your nose.

Time your visit to the Riverina region to coincide with A Taste of Italy Griffith, held every August. This week-long celebration of Italian heritage and culture offers a wide range of Italian-inspired events and experiences to enjoy. Expect long-table lunches, wine tasting experiences, cooking classes and a Makers in the Piazza market. The headline event is a ticketed long lunch – Festa delle Salsicce (Salami Festival) – where winners of the best salami are announced.

Start planning your foodie getaway at visitgriffith.com.au.

Retro revival: Why nostalgia is powering a new kind of travel

Australians are choosing to slow things down and bring the joy back to holidaying.

Why nostalgia travel is resonating with Australians