New Zealanders increasingly exploring their own backyard

Auckland, New Zealand – 20 June, 2017 – Mastercard’s biannual survey on travel trends has revealed that Kiwis are increasingly travelling to New Zealand destinations for their holidays.

The biannual survey revealed three quarters of respondents chose to travel domestically for leisure in the past year (75%), and 92% are planning to take a domestic holiday this year.

“It seems that when it comes to planning a holiday Kiwis prefer no place like home. When planning a shorter trip, like a long weekend getaway or trip during the school holidays, Kiwis can look to take advantage of the world class destinations on offer in our beautiful country, making domestic travel an attractive and cost-effective option,” says Peter Chisnall, Country Manager for Mastercard New Zealand and Pacific Islands.

The survey identified the top activities that motivate New Zealanders to travel are visiting loved ones (31%), followed by sight-seeing (23%) and rest and relaxation (16%).

On average, New Zealanders spend $606 per domestic leisure trip, compared to an average of $2,663 for an international trip. Travel to the destination is the biggest percentage of expense for both international (30%) and domestic (29%) holidays.

“We are lucky in New Zealand to be near some of the best tourist destinations in the world, whether people are looking for a winter destination holiday, adventure trip, leisurely exploration of our scenery, or just visiting family and friends in another part of the country,” says Chisnall.

The top domestic destinations are Christchurch (23%), Auckland (15%) and Wellington (15%).

Australia remains the top priority international destination for Kiwi travellers (30%), followed by USA (9%) and the UK (5%).

Over half of New Zealanders say the exchange rate influences their travel plans (16% greatly, 36% somewhat), and the top method of payment when travelling is by credit card (43%).

“When travelling overseas, the last thing you want to worry about is dealing with the carrying around wads of cash and calculating the cost back to New Zealand dollars. Mastercard Cash Passport allows you to load up to nine currencies ahead of going overseas, which means you can lock in a favourable exchange rate ahead of travel and then easily use it at any card terminal,” says Chisnall.

When searching for the best value trip, 77% look online for travel deals ahead of booking their holiday. Mastercard research shows purchasing airline tickets online is the overall biggest online shopping category (62%).

If money was no barrier, the dream destinations for Kiwis are London (29%), New York (26%) and Paris (23%), with Tokyo the most popular Asia Pacific destination (21%).

Ends

© Scoop Media