The school holidays are drawing to a close with many agents reaping the rewards of another peak period.
Flight Centre New Zealand gm Heidi Walker says the current term two school holidays have been one of the busiest periods the company has seen for family travel, with bookings up more than 50% compared to the term one break. Kiwis are largely ditching the cold and heading north for the summer, with Walker saying London is proving to be the most popular first stop for many, who are then continuing through Europe. “France, Italy, Germany and Spain are topping the list for those extended European getaways.” And while close to home destinations such as Australia and Fiji lead House of Travel bookings, the chain also reports demand for long-haul holidays, with the UK the third most popular destination, and the US fifth, just behind the Cook Islands. Fiji and the Gold Coast are also continuing to perform well for Flight Centre, but Walker says they are also seeing strong interest in Bali and Singapore. House of Travel chief operating officer Dave Fordyce also notes that Japan and Vietnam have joined the top 10 destinations for the chain, replacing France and Vanuatu. “Their continued popularity suggests more families are feeling confident about mid-haul travel, especially to destinations where the Kiwi dollar goes further,” he says. Also making the top 10 for HoT are Canada, Samoa and Indonesia. “We believe Canada’s growth is likely driven by older travellers with more disposable income, using the winter break to tick off bucket-list trips,” adds Fordyce.
