• 81% of Kiwis don’t feel they have seen enough of New Zealand
• 86% agree that Kiwis are great international travellers but haven’t seen enough of NZ
• 77% of people believe Milford Sound is a ‘Wonder of New Zealand’ yet 35% have never seen it

Kiwis might make great international travellers but with domestic tourism now the norm, new research has revealed that the vast majority of us have a lot more of New Zealand to explore.

The independent study asked more than 800 kiwis whether they felt they had seen enough of New Zealand, a huge 81% said no.

Conducted by outdoor adventure brand Torpedo7, the research also revealed that 86% of Kiwis agree that we make better international travellers than domestic, a number which rises to 95% for those aged 56 and above.

The research was conducted as part of the outdoor brand’s search for the 7 Wonders of New Zealand, launched to encourage people to get out and explore to discover their own ‘Wonder of New Zealand’.

Simon West, CEO of Torpedo7, wants more Kiwis to visit their own backyard to discover what brings nearly 4 million international visitors to New Zealand each year while providing a boost to those regional economies impacted by the lack of foreign tourists.

“Milford Sound, Abel Tasman National Park, Mount Cook, Mount Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park, these are all considered as some of the best places to visit in the world, yet we know from the research there are still plenty of Kiwis that are yet to visit these incredible locations,” says West.

The research revealed that 1 in 3 people (35%) are yet to visit Milford Sound, a number which rises to 1 in 2 (47%) among 18-25 year-olds, yet despite the number of people who have never seen it 77% consider it a Wonder of New Zealand.

Results were similar for the Abel Tasman National Park. Thirty four percent of people had never seen it yet more than half, 54% consider it a wonder.

“This year is unlike any other. With our borders as good as closed, thousands of Kiwis will be holidaying at home,” says West.

“For those who had trips and holidays planned, particularly those who were looking forward to the traditional Kiwi OE, this is unfortunate but also presents all of us with an opportunity to explore our own backyard and better appreciate what we have on our doorstep.”

“And this is why we launched the campaign, despite our international reputation and appeal, nowhere in New Zealand features on any ‘Wonders of the World’ list, ancient or modern. So we decided to change that and challenge Kiwis to come up with our own.”

Torpedo7 is currently asking its fans on Facebook to help it develop an ultimate 7 Wonders of New Zealand list and will be releasing its final seven shortly.

“Exploration and adventure is in the DNA of Torpedo7, we believe that New Zealand is the most epic outdoor playground in the world but enjoying it is only possible thanks to the hard work for all those involved in travel, tourism and supporting industries.”

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