Kiwis look for bliss over basic in a bach holiday

28 November 2016

New research shows Kiwis look for bliss over basic in a bach holiday

Cheap, cheerful and a little frayed around the edges, new research shows that the rustic Kiwi bach could be headed for an upgrade with more New Zealanders looking for a touch of luxury when renting a bach.

The survey of over 800 New Zealand holiday makers by holiday home provider Bachcare shows that 52 per cent of those surveyed are looking for the added bells and whistles when renting a holiday home. The traditional rustic bach appealed to only 38 per cent surveyed, down from 42 per cent in 2015.

Bachcare Director of Marketing Richard Carey says New Zealanders no longer pack everything but the kitchen sink when they go on holiday in favour of properties that provide hotel like mod cons.

“The appeal of a quaint, creaky bach is still strong, however increasingly it seems kiwis are showing a preference towards more modern services and amenities, with most people surveyed saying they preferred baches with added luxuries including real-time online booking (96 per cent), hotel style consumables (84 per cent), cleaning and rubbish removal services (77 per cent) and WiFi (63 per cent).

“While New Zealanders are looking for slightly more luxurious baches, the fundamentals of a classic Kiwi holiday remain timeless.

“Holidays that centre around water attractions such as the beach or lakes remain a firm favourite as does spending time with friends and family (both 84 per cent) while swimming (63 per cent), enjoying local tourism activities (60 per cent) and the classic Kiwi BBQ (58 per cent) rounded out the top bach essentials.

Being on holiday doesn’t necessarily mean we’re totally getting away from it all, with more than a third of those surveyed (38 per cent) admitting to checking work emails on their break.

Surprisingly, bach location was secondary to space and comfort in terms of what customers look for when considering their holiday needs.

Baches are a staple of New Zealand culture, with nearly all (98 per cent) of those surveyed saying they believe a bach holiday is an important part of Kiwi culture.

Bachcare is New Zealand’s leading full-service holiday home rental and management provider in New Zealand, offering both holiday home owners and holiday makers a seamless end to end experience.

Bachcare manages over 1300 baches and holiday homes throughout the country and each is overseen by local property managers who make sure each home is secure, clean and rental-ready for the next guest.

Demand for managed holiday home accommodation is growing steadily with Bachcare set to host over 100,000 guests in homes around the country this year.

“We are seeing more and more of our customers gravitate towards full-service properties where they can get the best of the bach experience while having the convenience of those added luxuries, such as cleaning services, linen, and WiFi, taken care of, including a personal service whenever needed. The ability to rent a holiday home efficiently with instant online booking, and the ability to book same-day arrivals is also vital for the modern guest” says Richard.

Bach owners are seeing the benefits of a managed properties as well, with enquiries from owners looking to list their holiday homes for rent with Bachcare increasing over 50 per cent for the year to date compared to 2015.

ENDS

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