More Kiwis travelling abroad vs. Australians

NEWS RELEASE
Higher percentage of Kiwis travelling abroad vs. Australians
Research from Visa International proves Kiwi adventurer sprit

Auckland, 6 March 2007– Kiwis are ahead of their Trans Tasman rivals when it comes to traveling abroad with 86 per cent of New Zealanders having travelled overseas compared with only 75 per cent of Australians, according to research released by Visa International.

However, the research revealed that although more New Zealanders prefer to travel overseas than Australians, 42 per cent of Kiwis are traveling overseas less now than in the past - a theme common with travelers on both sides of the ditch.

New Zealanders have also embraced the Internet as a means of booking air travel with 45 per cent of Kiwis choosing online ahead of using travel agents or phoning the airline direct.

The rate that Kiwis travel abroad has slowed over the past three years partly due to the threat of terrorism and health scares, however this looks set to change, says Visa International’s New Zealand Country Manager Iain Jamieson

Behind local currency, the credit card is still the most popular form of payment for New Zealand travelers with 78 per cent using it. According to the research, EFTPOS/Debit cards are emerging as a popular alternative or complementary choice to credit cards with 23 per cent of Kiwi travelers opting for this method of payment.

Visa Debit cards can be used to pay for goods and services with the customer’s own money at more than 24 million locations around the world, including one million ATMs, over the Internet, by telephone and via mail order - everywhere Visa is accepted.

“There has been strong growth for debit cards around the world in recent years. They are the most used payment cards globally and an excellent alternative for those wanting to use their own money rather than a line of credit to shop overseas,” said Mr Jamieson.

ENDS

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