Earlier this month, Flight Centre NZ reported an increased interested for far off destinations for travelers from New Zealand.
While in the past New Zealanders considered Bali and Thailand as their top destinations, in 2017 they are likely to travel to destinations in Europe as air travel becomes more affordable.
The Flight Centre NZ compared airfare cost averages in 2016 as opposed to averages in 1947: while in 1947 an average return airfare to London from Auckland was approximately $1,170NZD (more than $110,000NZD today, or 85 weeks’ pay for the average worker), in 2016 travelers pay for the same airfare an average $1,700NZD, or 1.2 weeks’ pay.
In 2017, Flight Centre NZ expects people to travel more, and while Australia and the South Pacific remain top destinations, Europe, South Africa, and Antarctica are becoming more and more interesting. Sean Berenson, Flight Centre NZ general manager product, said that many New Zealanders are booking two or three vacations annually. He also stated that, among other destinations that used to be out of reach in the past, Eastern Europe will become a hot spot in 2017: “Mexico, the Caribbean, Japan, China, Eastern Europe and the southern states of the USA will be high on the list of ‘hot spots’ for Kiwis in 2017.”
Kiwis are also enjoying to travel for experiences: the number of active trips, culinary travel, and wildlife experiences is on the rise. New Zealanders book food and wine cruises, hiking holidays, accommodation in treehouses or in underwater hotels and the list goes on.
Among all travel experiences for Kiwis, cruises are still important. Flight Centre NZ reported 20% growth in cruising in 2016 compared to 2015. River cruises along the Rhine and the Danube rank among the top picks in 2017, according to the same report.