Forget romance – Kiwis prefer a holiday in 2009

Forget romance – Kiwis prefer a holiday in 2009

Expedia survey reveals Kiwis look forward to taking a holiday more than anything – even a new romance

Auckland, 9 December 2008 – According to a recent poll, Kiwis look forward to taking a holiday seven times more than the prospect of a new romance in 2009.

The survey[1], conducted by Expedia.co.nzTM , operated by Expedia, Inc., the world’s leading online travel company, found that over half of New Zealanders said going away on holiday was the thing they looked most forward to during the year, well ahead even of a pay rise or job promotion (13%). And with more than half of New Zealanders saying they are planning a holiday next year, we are not planning on sitting around at home waiting for Cupid to visit.

When asked why going away on holiday was so important, Kiwis appeared to be suffering from end-of-year exhaustion, with more than 40% of the survey’s over 500 respondents saying their ideal holiday would be ‘total relaxation’ – well ahead of it being an opportunity to spend more time with family (24%) or learn about other cultures (19%). It was also shown that the daily grind was what most Kiwis seek relief from in a holiday, with over 56% citing an ‘escape from routine’ as the main motivation for going away on holiday, well ahead of having a break from work (38%) or taking a break from social and family commitments (6%). Two to three weeks were what most Kiwis said would constitute ‘a real holiday’ (31%).

Less than half the respondents (44%) said they would be travelling away on holiday this summer, with 80% of those saying they would be holidaying in New Zealand, followed by around 15% further afield within Asia Pacific.

Almost a third of those not going away on holiday this summer cited the economic downturn and need to reduce debt as the main reasons for staying put. That said, three-quarters of all respondents (74%), regardless of whether they were staying at home or going away agreed that a holiday was more relaxing than staying at home.

"While the Christmas holiday season is one of the busiest and most expensive times of year to travel, there are many ways to enjoy a holiday away without breaking the bank,” said Louise Hurbert-Burns at Expedia® New Zealand.

“With the internet, it is now easier and quicker than ever to search for the best deals and book a holiday or short break away.

“With many airline seats going empty due to the economic downturn, airline competition is stiff to try and fill those seats, and together with falling international oil prices, there could well be compelling last-minute airfare deals this holiday season. So, if travel plans are flexible, travellers may find extraordinary bargains by letting the deal actually determine their destination.

“Travellers could also consider booking all their travel – like flights, hotel accommodation and car hire – together as a single package. With Expedia’s technology, travellers can create their own package by combining all their travel needs with one single price tag. In most cases, doing so will deliver an additional saving compared to booking the items separately, which they can see instantly when booking,” Ms Hurbert-Burns concluded.

For excellent travel deals and a great travel experience, visit www.expedia.co.nz.

ENDS

About Expedia.co.nz
Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), the world's leading online travel company, operates Expedia.co.nz™ (http://www.expedia.co.nz) in New Zealand. Expedia.co.nz helps New Zealanders plan and book their travel by providing a personalised service, the latest technology and a wide selection of holiday packages, flights, hotels, rental cars and in-destination attractions, activities and transfers to suit their travel needs. With the Expedia Price Promise, Expedia offers to its customers the best rates available online for all types of travel, making it the most comprehensive customer guarantee in online travel.
Expedia is a registered trademark of Expedia, Inc. in the US and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.
© 2008 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST# 2029030-40

[1] The research was conducted on behalf of Expedia.co.nz by Pureprofile via an online poll of 503 respondents between 28 November and 1 December 2008.

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