Kiwis keen to take flight
Travel agents and airlines are reporting a ‘feeding frenzy’ of enquiries as New Zealanders plan to take flight and re-join the world
Southern Cross Travel Insurance commissioned YouGov to research travellers’ motivations and concerns. The results are interesting and, in some cases, a little surprising. Jo McCauley, CEO Southern Cross said: “We wanted to understand how to support the 95 per cent of New Zealanders who are looking to get out and explore Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas again in the next couple of years. Covid-19 has impacted pretty much every aspect of travel, and as an insurer we need to be aware of Kiwis’ appetite for risk regardless of whether they’re headed to Rotorua or Rarotonga.”
Main benefits of travel
The most popular benefit of taking a holiday of any kind is to have a ‘complete break from a daily routine to relax, recuperate and re-energise’. Seventy per cent of all respondents claimed this as the main benefit of downing tools and heading away to be somewhere other than home. Reconnecting with family and friends ran a close second at 67 per cent.
Baby Boomers are especially keen to see grandchildren for the first time, with 73 per cent saying staying connected to friends and family who live elsewhere was the main benefit of heading overseas.
While ensuring family bonds are strengthened is a priority for many, McCauley said it’s also interesting to see New Zealanders have not lost their desire to have an adventure (57 per cent), especially among younger travellers.
Nearly half of all respondents (47 per cent) also said they were looking for a way to reward themselves after what has been a hard two years.
New considerations for travellers
Forty-five per cent of all people who plan to travel in the next two years say an important consideration when choosing accommodation is evidence of safe Covid-19 practices. It’s not just older travellers who’ve proven more vulnerable to the impact of Covid, and who may be cautious. Forty-three per cent of Gen Z who plan to travel in the next two years say an accommodation provider’s approach to Covid would impact their choice. The message to practice good hygiene and mask-wearing now seems to be the accepted norm, and compliance is expected from accommodation providers.
While, prior to Covid, staying in a hostel was just part of the experience for many, the number of travellers considering this in the next two years has nearly halved from 20 per cent pre Covid-19 to 11 per cent in the next two years. This suggests bunking in with strangers has less appeal, even for the most adventurous.
It’s important to note too, the destinations New Zealanders are considering will likely be on the itinerary only if they’ve had a good track record of dealing well with Covid. McCauley said: “88 per cent of our survey respondents said the way a country or location has managed the pandemic will impact their decision on where to head next or which places to avoid.
Flexible cancellation more vital
Another key theme is travellers looking for operators who offer a flexible cancellation policy, due no doubt to people having had to make repeated changes thanks to Covid. The data shows 59 per cent of respondents will only book activities that have a favourable cancellation policy with a full refund.
McCauley said: “Since January 2022, cancellation due to being diagnosed with Covid-19 has accounted for 22 per cent of total claims across TravelCare and Domestic New Zealand policies. It’s therefore easy to see why flexibility is perceived to be so important amongst travellers and shows just why it’s best to be covered to protect your much needed holiday.”
The role of travel insurance
One of the most telling statistics from the Southern Cross YouGov research is that 85 per cent of all who plan to travel in the next two years consider travel insurance a must-have before heading off on holiday internationally. Prior to the pandemic, 78 per cent considered it a priority.
When it comes to domestic travel, 51 per cent of those surveyed think travel insurance to cover the unexpected as they head out around New Zealand is a high priority (up from 37 per cent who said it was a high priority for domestic travel pre Covid-19).
That said, 15 per cent of the Gen Z segment surveyed said international travel insurance was a high priority before Covid-19 but is less important now, and 11 per cent of Gen Z claimed it was not important before Covid-19 and remains not important to them now.