Mackenzie drive draws Kiwis with stunning scenery – survey
The Mackenzie region is the most popular road trip destination for ‘‘staycationing’’ Kiwis, according to a survey carried out by a major vehicle rental company.
The survey, by Budget NZ, of more than 1000 Kiwis found the drives around Aoraki/Mt Cook, Lake Tekapo and through the Mackenzie region was New Zealand’s most popular road trip (39 per cent).
ChristchurchNZ destination development manager Anton Wilke said ‘‘it’s our time’’.
‘‘The word is out about the stunning scenery and amazing night skies. The Mackenzie District has many attractions and the number of available options have swelled, especially in the last 10 years.’’
The region is particularly popular among Cantabrians, with 43 per cent saying they would like to experience the region and 24 per cent planning a road trip for the next long weekend.
The Mackenzie region was also found to be the most popular with those aged 25-35 (44 per cent) and 65+ (42 per cent), and those earning between $100,000 and $149,000 a year.
Forty-eight per cent of people with a household income over $150,000 said the Mackenzie region was somewhere they would like to experience.
‘‘It’s likely that there is some link between discretionary income and travel, however the Mackenzie District still provides some excellent affordable holiday opportunities,’’ Wilke said.
The news comes as, both nationally and locally, tourism strategies focus on value over volume.
‘‘Value over volume is great when it comes to managing local impacts and achieving the greatest economic returns for the district.’’
The research into Kiwi staycation habits also found 27 per cent of people choose their destination based on its visual appeal, going up to 34 per cent for millennials.
It said 13 per cent of millennials chose a destination based on how good it would look on social media while 49 per cent were looking for adventurous activities.
‘‘Visitors are looking for the fresh, the new and the less crowded,’’ the survey said.
‘‘Our azure lakes are an Instagram phenomena and social media works well for this destination. Aoraki/Mt Cook National
Park is a national and global magnet that offers experiences unique to New Zealand.’’
More than half of respondents (54 per cent) cited nice weather as the main factor in their holiday choice, 53 per cent wanted to escape the 9-5 routine and 44 per cent said it was important to them to find somewhere cheap.