AUCKLAND – 17 January 2008: A strong ski season has helped attract a record number of bookers to New Zealand’s South Island during 2007 as per the list of top destinations booked through Australasia’s leading accommodation website, Wotif.com (www.wotif.com).
Wotif.com’s New Zealand Manager, Tania Witheford said that bookings for New Zealand hotels were up in general and that the regions which did exceptionally well were those close to or in the ski areas
"While the top twenty destinations for 2007 were similar to 2006, the order shuffled slightly with Christchurch moving up to second place, confirming its growing popularity as a key arrival point into New Zealand, particularly over the winter months.
"Queenstown and Dunedin both improved their position from last year, however the biggest movers were in the second half of the list with Wanaka moving up three spots and Te Anau and Franz Josef Glacier making it into the list for the first time,” she added.
Luring both leisure and business travellers, Auckland remained the top destination in terms of bookings for 2007 and Witheford is confident it will hold the top spot going forward, however she predicts that there could be changes in the top twenty list in 2008.
“Upcoming destinations for 2008 will be Blenheim, with its new Marlborough Convention Centre and Hanmer Springs, which continues to grow and offer more for visitors.
”I also expect the alpine regions to continue to grow in popularity as they strengthen their offerings as year-round leisure destinations,” said Witheford.
Top New Zealand Destinations 2007
1. Auckland
2. Christchurch
3. Wellington
4. Queenstown
5. Rotorua
6. Taupo
7. Dunedin
8. Hamilton
9. Napier
10. Nelson
11. Tauranga
12. Palmerston North
13. Wanaka
14. New Plymouth
15. Paihia
16. Te Anau
17. Franz Josef Glacier
18. Hanmer Springs
19. Blenheim
20. Invercargill
When it came to international travel, New Zealanders preferred warmer climates in 2007, with the Pacific Islands and South East Asia dominating the list of top international destinations.
As expected Australia topped the list, but surprisingly Fiji held onto second spot, despite the coup and political unrest.
“Fiji’s crises may have influenced the increase in bookings for Vanuatu, which gained 5 spots from 2006, and, the Cook Islands and Indonesia who both made it onto the list for the first time,” said Witheford.
South East Asian countries were once again popular, aided by increased airline capacity and more flights into these countries. Vietnam was the biggest improver of the region, gaining two spots on 2006.
Europe also proved to be popular with Kiwi travellers, possibly due to the Rugby World Cup, with the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands all in the top 20.
Top International Destinations 2007
1. Australia
2. Fiji
3. UK
4. Hong Kong
5. Singapore
6. USA
7. Thailand
8. Italy
9. France
10. China
11. Malaysia
12. Canada
13. Spain
14. Germany
15. Vanuatu
16. Vietnam
17. Indonesia
18. Cook Islands
19. Netherlands
20. South Korea & Ireland (tied)
-ends-
Notes to Editor
* Domestic statistics are from bookings made through Wotif.com from during 2007 in New Zealand
* International statistics are from New Zealand bookings made internationally during 2007
