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More than 80 percent of people surveyed about their summer vacation plans aim to travel around New Zealand this season.
Photo: 123rf
And the results showed that most will hit the road in a caravan.
The annual survey conducted by the tourism information and reservations platform (website and app), Campable, found that Covid-19 was a bigger disruptor for winter plans than for the Christmas season.
Of those surveyed, 58 percent said this summer presented a better opportunity to explore New Zealand than ever.
Slightly fewer, 54 percent, said that if it weren’t for Covid they would have traveled abroad this year, while 44 percent said no and 5 percent were unsure.
Just over 54 percent planned to travel in a caravan, 18 percent would stay with friends and family, 13 percent would rent an AirBnB or bach, and 9 percent would be pitching a tent.
Campable CEO Maria Mahony said the results may reflect the nature of the customer base and could not be viewed as a definitive national overview.
She said that while bookings were strong, conversations with motorhome and caravan partners revealed that they were being made for shorter periods than booked by foreign travelers.
Of those surveyed, 16 percent planned to travel to places they had visited before and 14 percent would be exploring new territory.
Sunset at Tahunanui Beach in Nelson.
Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
Mahony was surprised to find that Covid had not affected the summer plans as much as he expected.
“It kind of indicates that people normally stay in New Zealand during the summer anyway.”
She said another characteristic was the small number who said their plans had changed due to the economic impact of Covid-19.
The survey showed that 5 percent revealed that the biggest impact on their summer plans was having less money to spend on travel, due to the economic fallout from Covid.
Some pointed out that they had to use the vacation leave during the lockdown and therefore would not take a break during the summer.
Walkway next to Tahuna Beach Holiday Park.
Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
Mahony said that while it was serious for those directly affected, there were fewer people than he expected.
She said there were opposing ideas about how border closures and the lack of international tourists would affect her plans; Some thought the roads would be emptier and the tourist destinations less crowded, while others found it more difficult to book accommodation, especially singles and camping sites because so many Kiwis were traveling.
“About half thought it would be easier to be a national tourist without international visitors and the other half found it quite difficult to reserve things.
“If you’re a seasoned camper, then you know camps sell out pretty quickly, but if that’s not how you normally spend your summer vacation, then it’s quite surprising new territory for some.”
A handful of respondents said they had not yet booked a holiday because they were concerned about the possibility of another lockdown.
The survey showed that affordability and less crowded locations were what Kiwis used to prioritize their reservations, followed by unique experiences, reservation flexibility, refund policies, and “stricter cleaning.”
