New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today that Aussies and Kiwis can finally cross the ditch with two-way quarantine free travel to commence from 19 April.To help Aussies decide where to travel first in the land of the long white cloud, Booking.com has released its latest search data, revealing trending destinations in New Zealand to explore for our first taste of international travel.
Unexplored NZ – the following top 10 are trending lesser known, but absolutely epic destinations in New Zealand that saw significant increases in domestic search demand over the pandemic as Kiwis explored their own backyard*:
- Russell
- Raglan
- Kaiteriteri
- Glenorchy
- Ohope Beach
- Omarama
- Whakapapa Village
- Takaka
- Punakaiki
- Wairarapa
In this list of unexplored gems, beach towns trended over the New Zealand summer, with the picturesque and historic beauty of Russell in the far North and Raglan’s rugged surf on the West Coast proving particularly popular.
Whakapapa Village in the North Island’s central plateau region around Mt Ruapehu has also seen popular search demand, as travellers start to think about their next ski holiday. With many Australian ski fields season passes selling fast, the trans-Tasman bubble offers an additional winter holiday option for Australian families looking for a spectacular snow season.
Amazing Aotearoa – In addition, Booking.com search data from February also reveals the overall top 20 most searched destinations in New Zealand for 2021**:
- Auckland
- Queenstown
- Wellington
- Taupo
- Christchurch
- Rotorua
- Napier
- Dunedin
- Hamilton
- Tauranga
- Hanmer Springs
- Paihia
- Mount Maunganui
- Nelson
- Wanaka
- Palmerston North
- New Plymouth
- Lake Tekapo
- Whitianga
- Kaikoura
As we continue in 2021, it’s Booking.com’s mission to make it easier for everyone to experience travel, with the widest choice, great value and the easiest experience from anywhere and on any device so travellers can enjoy all of the unforgettable experiences New Zealand and Australia has to offer.
*Methodology: the destinations had to be in the top 100 most searched during February 2021 and had to have gone up by 10 ranks or more when compared to the same period in 2020
**Methodology: Top searches per nationality during the month of February 2021, comparing searches with all checkin dates. These rankings were compared to searches with the same date range last year.
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