Press Room: Media Releases

AUCKLAND – 5 January 2009: Auckland has once again pipped Christchurch to become New Zealand’s top destination for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with more Kiwis choosing to stay in the country’s largest city than anywhere else, according to New Zealand’s most popular accommodation website Wotif.com.

The City of Sails has consistently taken the top spot since 2006 when Wotif.com first began the list, which compiles information from thousands of accommodation bookings received for stays throughout the party season.

The data also shows Te Anau, Hamilton and Dunedin all crept into the top 10 this year.

Christmas and New Year are traditionally busy times for Wotif.com and this year bookings remained strong, fuelled by exceptional hotel rates being sold on Wotif.com and people’s ongoing desire to travel over this period.

General Manager of Wotif.com Megan Magill said the decline of inbound tourism has created better travel opportunities for locals.

“Hotels throughout New Zealand are offering very competitive rates and extras such as bottles of wine or complimentary breakfasts, in a bid to drive domestic tourism,” Magill said. 

“We’re consistently seeing rates discounted by up to 70% off their regular rate, allowing Kiwis to really make the most of their holiday budgets.”

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* List compiled by totalling the number of accommodation bookings made using Wotif.com, for each individual region over the period of 24^th December 2008 to 1 January 2009.