Survey Reveals Increasing Outbound Travel

MasterIndex™ of Travel Survey Reveals Increasing Momentum for Outbound Travel in 2H 2007

Auckland, 19 September 2007 – Increasing numbers of New Zealanders are heading overseas for business and personal travel with a 2.1 per cent year-on-year growth in outbound travel predicted for the remainder of 2007, according to the latest MasterIndex™ of Travel report released by MasterCard Worldwide.

The latest MasterIndex of Travel shows almost one million Kiwis will travel overseas in the second half of 2007.

“This positive forecast for outbound travel corresponds with increasing personal disposable income and availability of low-cost travel options, which has made both personal and business travel more accessible,” said Dr. Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, economic advisor, Asia/Pacific, MasterCard Worldwide.

The MasterIndex of Travel, conducted twice a year, documents findings including travel habits and preferences, from travellers from across the Asia/Pacific region. The MasterIndex also comprises a six month forecast of outbound travel for 12 markets (Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand).

In the latest survey, the most preferred travel destination for New Zealanders travelling on holiday was Australia (55.0%), a trend observed in previous MasterIndex of Travel surveys. Australia (55.8%) was also the most frequently visited destination for Kiwi business travellers, followed by China (19.2%) and Europe (17.3%).

Half of the business travel respondents preferred international five-star or higher end hotels for overseas accommodation, and 19.2 per cent international five-star spa and resorts and international four-star hotels (19.2%). Singapore Airlines (19.2%) was the most preferred airline for business travel, followed by Qantas (15.4%), and the majority of business travellers (42.3%) said they made their own travel arrangements.

General sight-seeing and visiting scenic spots was a top of Kiwis’ must-do lists (49.1%) followed by visiting family, friends or relatives (41.4%) and shopping, rest and relaxation (33.7%).

Other personal travel findings from the report include:

- Key sources of information utilised by travellers in planning their trips were word of mouth (51.5%), the familiarity with the place (26.0%), followed by the Internet (17.2%).

- Top concerns for travellers when jetting-off to foreign shores were security and safety issues (26.6 %) falling sick with no proper medical facilities (21.9%) and losing one’s baggage/luggage (18.9%).

- Most preferred shopping items for travellers when abroad included apparel and personal effects (60.9%), local souvenirs, antiques, arts and crafts (43.2% and luxury items, jewelleries, branded goods (31.4%).

A total of 5,407 consumers from 13 markets participated in the survey (Vietnam as the additional market included in the survey component). Fieldwork was conducted between 2 May to 31 May 2007, with a sample of 400 or more consumers in each of the 12 markets, except in China where 600 consumers were interviewed. The participants were males and females aged 18 years and above, from the middle and upper income groups.

NOTE TO EDITORS: This news release is distributed with the table (below) that shows the MasterIndex of Travel forecast by market.
The full report, which details the individual market forecasts, can be found at the website www.masterintelligence.com
The following chart shows the MasterIndex of Travel forecast for outbound travel for the second half of 2007.
Outbound Travelers: Forecast for the 2nd Half of 2007 Year-on-year
Growth
Australia 2.8 million 5.6%
China 19.0 million 7.5%
Hong Kong 3.1 million 4.9%
Indonesia 2.6 million 5.6%
Japan 9.3 million 1.8%
Korea 7.1 million 12.5%
Malaysia 23.8 million 7.6%
New Zealand 0.9 million 2.1%
Philippines 1.0 million 5.7%
Singapore 3.0 million 3.0%
Taiwan 4.6 million 3.6%
Thailand 1.7 million 4.3%

About the MasterCard MasterIndex™ Reports
The MasterIndex of Travel is one of MasterCard’s MasterIndex suite of research products in Asia/Pacific. The other key MasterIndex research products include:

- The flagship MasterIndex™ of Consumer Confidence - the regions most comprehensive and longest running consumer sentiment survey. Now in its 14th year, the MasterIndex of Consumer Confidence has demonstrated its predictive precision and has proved to be an excellent barometer of the consumer pulse in this region. Today, the survey is much sought after by analysts, academics and decision-makers in financial institutions, government agencies and multinational organizations.

- The MasterIndex™ of Retail, which provides six-month outbound retail forecasts for the same 12 markets covered by the MasterIndex of Travel. This powerful predictive market intelligence is highly relevant to the retail, entertainment, food and beverage, travel and tourism sectors, as well as related sectors.

- The MasterIndex™ of Women’s Advancement, an annual report which compares the socio-economic level of women to men in 13 Asia/Pacific markets using four key indicators: participation in the labor force, tertiary education, managerial positions and above median income.

MasterIndex information relates to travel and consumer economic trends only and does not constitute a projection of the business or financial performance of MasterCard Incorporated or its affiliates.

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Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release which are not historical facts, including any statements about MasterCard's plans, strategies, beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking and subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.

Accordingly, except for the company's ongoing obligations under the U.S. federal securities laws, the company does not intend to update or otherwise revise the forward-looking information to reflect actual results of operations, changes in financial condition, changes in estimates, expectations or assumptions, changes in general economic or industry conditions or other circumstances arising and/or existing since the preparation of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of any unanticipated events.

Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements for a number of reasons, including those set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and Current Reports on Form 8-K that it has filed with the SEC during 2007, as well as reasons including difficulties, delays or the inability of the company to achieve its strategic initiatives. Factors other than those listed above could also cause the company's results to differ materially from expected results.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor,

MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 16 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to http://www.mastercard.com.

ENDS

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