Spike in Kiwis Heading to the UK

SPIKE IN KIWIS HEADING TO THE UK

Flight Centre NZ say they’ve seen a surge in the numbers of Kiwis travelling to the UK this year, particularly in October with fans heading over to support the boys in black.

Sue Matson, Flight Centre NZ general manager retail, says in October this year bookings to London Heathrow have already seen an increase of almost 50 per cent on 2014. She says travellers have also been looking at alternative routes such as flying into Manchester, up almost a third on 2014.

Ms Matson goes on to say that the All Blacks win on the weekend provoked a spike in last minute enquiries at Flight Centre stores around the country over the long weekend, with a number of Kiwis looking to head over to London to support the boys in their final play off on November 1 2015.

“While final numbers are still being calculated there have already been a number of bookings made since Sunday for travellers arriving in the UK before Saturday,” Ms Matson says.

Ms Matson goes on to say that “despite the fact they are unlikely to be able to be at the game, it appears some fans simply want to be in the same city as their rugby heroes.”

Flight Centre NZ says that interest in the UK is set to continue long after the cheering ends.

“The UK is a hugely popular destination for New Zealand travellers and this years sporting events have allowed other areas like Brighton, Cardiff and Leeds to shine,” Ms Matson said.

“Events like this open new possibilities and ideas for travellers and we expect London to continue being a big seller with travellers encouraged to visit other destinations in the UK.”

Ms Matson said they saw similar results following the 2012 London Olympics, with increased enquiries for months after the event.

“While the Olympics are in a league of their own, we are still anticipating a renewed love affair with London and Britain from Kiwi travellers in the coming months after the rugby wraps up,” Ms Matson said.

ENDS

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