11 December 2013
All I want for Christmas is... nothing, say InterCity passengers
Stand down, Santa – greed is over and Christmas presents are so last year, according to the good folk who travel on
InterCity Coachlines.
InterCity’s 2013 Christmas survey gave passengers the chance to tell Santa what they wanted this festive season.
Surprisingly, though, almost 40% of customers surveyed don’t want any gifts at all.
Forget about money or the latest flash gadget – time with family and friends, a happy holiday season and good health are
the top of the wishlist for InterCity passengers. Some sunny weather and a sprinkling of world peace wouldn’t go amiss
either.
“We’ve always known our passengers are a special bunch, but this survey proves just how down to earth and warm-hearted
they are,” says Sam Peate, InterCity General Manager of Coaching. “We’d like to wish all our passengers a Merry
Christmas and a safe and relaxing holiday season.”
Of those who do have high hopes for their stocking this year, electronics are top of the list with iPhones, iPads and
tablets all gaining multiple mentions in InterCity’s survey. New houses, new cars and the odd million-dollar windfall
also made it onto some optimistic wishlists.
It turns out InterCity passengers are a brainy group, with the survey returning requests for a new clarinet, printer
ink, a university scholarship and a periodic table of the elements poster. It also revealed some lonely souls out there,
with several passengers hoping to find a new boyfriend or girlfriend under the tree on Christmas morning.
No matter what they end up receiving, Christmas is all about gathering with loved ones. For 75.5% of InterCity
passengers, time with family is the main ingredient for the ultimate Kiwi Christmas. Presents ranked second at 35.4%,
followed by spending time at the beach (34.2%) and putting up the Christmas tree (32.5%).
The survey also showed that festive fare is getting more casual with BBQ food scoring higher than the traditional ham or
roast turkey. Although it seems everyone has their own traditions – apparently for one respondent, Christmas just
wouldn’t be Christmas without ‘Fancy serviettes (large 4 ply)’!
ENDS