NZ domestic travel leaps
Kiwis have jumped back into domestic travel faster than anywhere else in the world with short term accommodation bookings returning to life after the Covid-19 lockdown.
That’s according to analysts AIRDNA, which said New Zealand Airbnb and other short term rental bookings were last week 465 per cent higher than during the week beginning Monday, April 6 — just after the country entered level 4 lockdown.
That compared to a 367 per cent jump in bookings in Germany in the same period, 202 per cent jump in US bookings, 200 per cent rise in France and 189 per cent increase in Australia.
Queenstown also had the biggest return to action percentage-wise of anywhere in New Zealand or Australia.
Bookings were up 960 per cent in the famous South Island destination from just 111 bookings in the week of April 6, to 1177 bookings last week.
Australia’s Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney, had the next biggest jump in bookings followed by Wellington in third spot with a 688 per cent jump from 216 bookings five weeks ago to 1253 bookings last week. “New Zealand leads the charge,” AIRDNA said.
“After doing a remarkable job shutting down the country and stunting the virus’ spread, it’s seeing a huge surge in bookings even as it heads into the winter season.” It comes as the Covid19 pandemic turned the lights out on New Zealand’s tourist industry.
Since New Zealand’s move to alert level 2, however, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has encouraged Kiwis to start getting back out and seeing their own country.
Tourism NZ has also shifted its focus to domestic tourists. flights countries.
The hospitality sector was still facing challenges under level 2, he said, but export sectors were faring “relatively well”.
A commercial rent solution being looked at involved an agreement between landlords and tenants for lower rents, if the tenants’ income had been hit by Covid-19.
He said he did not want to put a timeline on allowing international students to return to New Zealand, which Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has said should be allowed now.
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