Northland Leading NZ Cruise Statistics

21 August 2015

Northland Leading NZ Cruise Statistics

Northland residents are becoming more intrepid travellers with the fastest growing percentage of river cruising holidays sold in the region than anywhere else in New Zealand.

Last year 5,464 Kiwis nationally booked river cruises, an increase of 31% on the previous year. Tourism operator House of Travel estimates 5% bookings of these were made in the Northland region, with growth in that area up 150% since 2014.

Stephen Gillingham of House of Travel Whangarei says river cruising growth is one and a half times higher than it was previously and sales look set to double this year.

In the first half of 2015, Northlanders have spent over $1 million on river holiday bookings compared to the same amount for the whole of 2014, says Gillingham.

River cruises are typically booked by those wanting a more adventurous tourism experience as the cruises go further inland than the large sea port cruises.

He says Northlanders are looking for more exotic destinations, and are keen on voyages along Europe’s iconic waterways such as the Rhine, the Seine and the Danube, trips down the Mekong in Vietnam and the Amazon in Peru.

‘River cruising has increased hugely in popularity, particularly over the past five years. There are now cruise options available around the globe from large ships to small, river cruising to self-skippered narrow boats,” he says.

Gillingham says the Mekong Delta is a favourite with Northlanders who say life in the delta revolves around the river and the only real way to experience and understand it is by boat.

He says "two bucket list" cruises which are also popular with Whangarei locals are the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica.

‘’The traditional Amsterdam to Budapest 14-day cruise is also really sought after by Northlanders and repeat cruisers are now booking on the rivers of France and Portugal, the Mekong Delta and the Amazon.

“The Amazon is home to 1300 species of birds and numerous species of amphibians, reptiles and mammals, all of this can be taken in from the air conditioned comfort of your river boat. You can experience this incredible world on a boat that’s been inspired by a boutique five star hotel,” says Gillingham.

“Residents have discovered the advantages of cruising. It's a relaxing, all-inclusive mode of travel and a great way to holiday. Holidaymakers are able to visit multiple destinations through the duration of their trip while unpacking just once.’

"All of our team are extremely knowledgeable on the many cruise options available around the world,’ says Gillingham. ‘Matching up the right type of experience with the unique interests of each customer is key and our team go to great lengths to ensure this objective is achieved," he says.

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