Kiwi travel during the school holidays is changing, with one retail chain noting that while Australia remains popular, more and more families are looking to Asia for their escape.
Queensland is House of Travel’s most booked destination for the upcoming school holiday period, and Sydney the fifth. However, it says Asia is seeing some of the biggest rises in demand. “We have seen a massive 130% year-on-year increase in school holiday bookings to Hanoi,” says HoT ceo David Coombes. And Hanoi isn’t alone, as the brand says its Bali bookings are up 32% year-on-year, and to Tokyo up 11%. This growth, says Coombes, reflects a shift in Kiwi travel appetites as families grow confident about exploring new destinations where the New Zealand dollar has strong value on the ground.
. . . The Islands
The Islands also continue to prove popular, with Fiji the second-most popular destination overall, but Coombes says families are also spreading out. “While our customers typically favour familiar areas like Denarau, the Coral Coast, and the Mamanuca Islands, we’ve noticed a growing interest in the Yasawa Islands over the past year.” The Cook Islands was the fourth most popular destination, behind London, with getaways up 4% year-on-year. Although travel here comes with a warning to book early as Coombes notes more Australians are discovering this ‘Polynesian paradise’.
HoT notes that 11 and 12 Apr are set to be the busiest travel days.
