Bad Weather Means Interest in Holiday Hot Spots

Media Release 14 June 2005

Bad Weather Means Big Interest in Holiday Hot Spots

A nationwide flurry of bad weather and freezing temperatures has created a rush of interest in travel to the tropics, according to a leading travel retailer.

Flight Centre retail leader Jude Evans said the chain was set for a busy June, with the sharp drop in temperature and stormy conditions experienced by large parts of the country leading to a jump in enquiries about warm, sunny destinations such as the Pacific Islands and the Gold Coast.

“This cold snap, high winds and periods of torrential rain has got many people thinking the winter is going to be a very long, cold one, witha lot of our clients now looking forward to that mid winter break to the sun.”

But Ms Evans said because of the strong demand, there was even more urgency for New Zealand families to book soon, as some popular holiday spots were already filling fast for both the July and September school holidays.

New Zealand families were also competing against Australian holidaymakers, as school holidays were now at similar times throughout the year.

Recent tourism figures show New Zealand travel is still on the rise despite an economic slowdown, with New Zealanders taking more than 1,867,394 overseas trips in the year ended April 30, an increase of more than 4 percent compared with the same period the year before.

“Hot spots like Fiji, Rarotonga and the Gold Coast are traditionally very full at peak periods but it is getting increasingly difficult to get accommodation in shoulder and off peak seasons as well. We have also noticed a marked increase in interest in many of the other islands such as Tahiti and Samoa too.

“The onset of winter generally spurs people on to get away to somewhere warm, and this year is definitely proving no exception.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media