DATING Study finds Australians are attracted to food, travel and camping, because none of them require actual emotional availability

A new study has confirmed that Australians on dating apps are most attracted to interests such as food, travel and camping. It’s been largely attributed to the fact that none of them require follow-up questions, emotional availability or sustained effort of any kind.

The data, drawn from activity on Tinder during its busiest day of the year (yesterday, Sunday 4 January), shows users overwhelmingly gravitating toward profiles that present a vague sense of lifestyle enjoyment without revealing anything about values, communication style, or how a person might behave in an actual relationship.

According to the findings, interests like ‘foodie’ continue to perform strongly because they indicate a willingness to eat meals without committing to who pays, how often you see each other, or whether you’re emotionally present while chewing. ‘Travel’ also remains popular, mostly for its ability to suggest depth, curiosity and growth, while referring exclusively to a Mykonos boys trip taken back in 2019.

Camping, meanwhile, has emerged as a reliable middle ground. It’s outdoorsy enough to signal personality, but vague enough to likely never be discussed in detail.

The study also noted a conspicuous absence of interests related to communication, conflict resolution or emotional regulation. According to researchers, these categories are poorly suited to dating apps.

‘Dating Sunday’, which sees a significant annual increase in matches and messages, is believed to amplify this behaviour, as users briefly lower their standards before returning to normal levels of detachment by mid-January.

At press time, thousands of Australians were matching with people who enjoy food, love to travel, and are technically available (in theory).