MEDIA RELEASE
February 15 2015
Travel High On The Agenda For Kiwis In 2016
South America, Japan, The Philippines, Scandinavia, Western Europe and the Southern States of the USA predicted to be
‘hot’ new destinations in 2016 according to Flight Centre NZ
Health and wellness breaks, city escapes, multi-generational travel, culinary tourism and adventure holidays all trends
predicted to shape travel plans
The world’s largest cruise ship, deluxe new resorts, Disney developments and luxury trains some of the diverse new
attractions on offer around the world
Sue Matson, Flight Centre NZ general manager retail, says 2016 has seen a very busy start to the year for Flight Centre
stores across the country with Kiwis making the most of the amazing travel deals available.
“Travel is booming right now and keen holidaymakers are really jumping on board, where 10 years ago our average customer
might have saved to take one holiday every second year, many are now booking two or three, and there aren’t really any
places that are out of reach.”
Flight Centre NZ says Australia and the South Pacific are still number one destinations for their customers, but as
travel becomes more accessible and affordable destinations further afield have grown in popularity. An expedition cruise
to Antarctica is no longer out of the question, nor is a holiday in South America, or a self-drive trip through Europe’s
north.
New Zealand’s largest travel show, Travel Expo, is being held in Auckland Saturday January 20 and Sunday January 21 and
Flight Centre NZ says this is a great opportunity for keen travellers to book their next holidays. Hosted by Flight
Centre (NZ) Ltd, the Travel Expo provides expert travel advice, exclusive specials for a range of destinations across
the globe, travel presentations, information about touring, cruising, adventure travel and more.
There are a horde of new possibilities on the cards for keen travellers at Expo this year. Last year Air New Zealand
announced three new direct routes; Auckland to Ho Chi Minh, Auckland to Houston and Auckland to Buenos Aires. During
2015 Philippine Airlines announced a direct Auckland to Manilla flight and early this year Emirates announced a new
Auckland to Dubai route.
According to Flight Centre NZ this is all driving what is shaping up to a very exciting year for travellers, with fares
reaching record prices and accessibility to many destinations better than ever.
Ms Matson says diverse new attractions around the world are sure to attract a few explorers during the year. These
include the new FIFA museum in Zurich, due to open in the Northern Hemisphere this spring. The world’s largest cruise
ship, Harmony of the Seas, with a capacity of 5,400 passengers. The world’s newest Disneyland theme park opening in
Shanghai in June. The world’s newest luxury train, the Belmond Grand Hibernian, due to begin operations in August. A
Charlie Chaplin themed hotel set to open in Switzerland and a new bullet train launching in March connecting Tokyo with
Hokkaido.
It's not all about new and intrepid destinations though. Flight Centre NZ says customers are keen on trying new
experiences in their well-loved destinations, “exploring the Hinterlands in Queensland, food and wine cruises around New
Zealand and Australia, Hawaii’s outer Islands and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands are all popular choices.”
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