Mum’s the Word When It Comes to Kiwi Family Travel
o Get on Mum’s good side – she’s making the destination decision
o ‘Table for more’ as grandparents join one in five family holidays
o Best airlines and top destinations for travelling with kids revealed
The old adage that ‘Mum’s the boss’ is ringing true when it comes to family travel as Kiwi mothers take control of
holiday destination decisions according to brand new research released today from holiday website Wotif.co.nz.
Dads are trailing behind Mums (8% vs. 46% respectively) when it comes to choosing the perfect family holiday spot while
kids and grandparents share distant influence at 2%, and 1% respectively.
“I love deciding where my family should travel next, and it’s heartening to know there are hundreds of New Zealand Mums
just like me, deciding where their families will explore the world,” said Wotif travel specialist Kirsty La Bruniy.
Aside from the decision making totem pole, Wotif’s ‘How are you travelling’ survey gives a fresh sneak peek into the
holiday habits of New Zealand families.
“Mums may lead the decision making while at home, but on holidays most Kiwi Mums (83%) admit they ‘let some of the rules
go’ while away.”
Around two thirds (63%) of parents say their parenting style is different while they’re away on holiday than to at home.
The top five ranked ways Kiwi parents reveal they are different (vs. how they parent at home) while on holiday include:
1. Letting go of some of the rules
2. Bedtimes are later
3. Letting the kids eat more of what they like
4. Parents are more fun
5. Letting the kids jump on their beds
Built-in babysitters
With only 7% of Kiwi parents using kids clubs or babysitters while on holiday, bringing the grandparents along to help
out with childcare is gaining popularity with 21% of families bringing grandparents along.
Taking off with tots
Airline travel to domestic or international holiday hot spots continues to trend upwards for families as airline and
destination choices broaden but Kiwi families are sticking to their national airline when it comes to taking to the
skies with kids, with “service” and “reliability” driving this trend.
Domestically, Air New Zealand is the preferred choice for 74% of respondents, and Jetstar is the way to go for 5%. Air
travel was not on the agenda for 19% of respondents who stated they don’t fly with the kids around the country.
For international air travel, the top three ranked airlines chosen by respondents when flying with kids are:
1. Air New Zealand
2. Emirates
3. Singapore Airlines
Family favourites stay strong
Hot spots for getting away with the kids these coming September / October school holidays stayed steady according to
Wotif.co.nz booking demand data, with the nation’s capital city and tried-and-true Australia and Pacific Island
destinations proving popular.
The top five ranked domestic destinations for families**:
1. Wellington
2. Auckland
3. Taupo
4. Queenstown
5. Dunedin
The top five ranked international destinations for families**:
1. Gold Coast
2. Fiji
3. Sydney
4. Sunshine Coast
5. Melbourne
“With one-in-four Kiwis already having travelled with Wotif, we’re excited to announce a new way to save on travel with
Wotif packages, where we’ve made it really easy for everyone to access special rates if they book a hotel and flights
together. September vacation here we come!” said Ms La Bruniy.
Established in New Zealand in 2003, Wotif.co.nz is a leading online holiday site, with one-in-four Kiwis having
travelled with Wotif since Yr2000. It offers travellers access to millions of rooms, hundreds of airlines and thousands
of destinations locally and around the world, with real hotel reviews from more than 9 million travellers. Travellers
can access special package savings if they combine a hotel and flights in the same booking on Wotif.co.nz.
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