Kiwis packing their passports and skis

Kiwis packing their passports and skis

The travel bug has returned, with 40 percent of Kiwis planning an overseas trip in the next six months and 510,000 New Zealanders planning a skiing trip.

The Fly Buys/Colmar Brunton Mood of the New Zealand Traveller Survey, released by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) today, shows Kiwis are starting to make more travel plans as the effects of the recession recede.

However, Fly Buys CEO Andy Symons says although many of us are planning to travel more, price remains the deal breaker.

“For 72 percent of Kiwis, finding a good value flight or accommodation deal affects whether or not they decide to go on holiday, and for more than two thirds of us it also dictates when, where, and how long we go away for.

“Kiwis are amongst the savviest consumers in the world, so it’s no surprise value is a key driver of travel decisions.”

Mr Symons says redeeming Fly Buys Points for flights and accommodation options is a popular way to stretch the travel budget further.

TIA Chief Executive Tim Cossar says ski fields and mountain communities should be in for a bumper season as Kiwis dust off their skis and snowboards with one in 10 of us planning to hit the slopes more than last year.

“The fact that 39 percent of people are planning to spend more on travel compared to last winter is a positive sign for the industry. The survey found 40 percent of Kiwis intend to pack their bags for an overseas destination but also that many of us still hadn’t made our minds up about where to go for a holiday. It’s an opportunity to get out there and make some noise about our fantastic domestic holiday spots, and convince Kiwis to holiday in their own country,” Mr Cossar says.

Colmar Brunton CEO Harry Pappafloratos says the survey gives New Zealand’s travel and tourism industry valuable insights into where to focus their marketing efforts to attract more Kiwis.

“It’s great news for tourism businesses that the travel bug is striking Kiwis again and they are acting on it, with 73 percent of us who are likely to be going away on holiday knowing exactly where we’re going and 38 percent having already made plans. That’s up from 60 percent and 28 percent in February. With increased economic certainty comes firm plans,” he says.

Further findings

• Wellington is the most popular autumn/winter holiday destination, followed by Christchurch, Auckland, Queenstown and Nelson
•
• Australia remains the most popular autumn/winter holiday destination, followed by USA, United Kingdom, Fiji and Rarotonga
•
• 82 percent of all adult New Zealanders have taken an overnight trip in the last six months
•
• 83 percent of adult New Zealanders are planning to take an overnight trip in the next 6 months, an average of 2.3 overnight trips across the adult population.
•
View the survey results at www.tianz.org.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media