Best place to travel for Easter long weekend in New Zealand? Data reveals Kiwis’ plans

Flight bookings for easter weekend have increased 38 per cent compared to last year. Photo / 123rf

In 2023, as Kiwis increasingly returned to travel after years of lockdowns and pre-departure tests, it may have felt like we were reaching “peak travel”.

However, new data from Webjet proves this was just the beginning, especially for long weekends.

Flight bookings made by New Zealanders for the upcoming Easter weekend are 38 per cent higher than last year’s figures, according to the travel booking service.

The company compared flights booked between January 1 and February 28, 2023, for travel between April 5 to April 12 2023 against flights booked from January 1 to February 28, 2024, for travel between March 27 and April 3.

Bookings had increased 38 per cent this year, although many of the trending destinations were similar across both years.

Many favour a short break across the ditch

Australia was top of the international list, with Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast and Perth taking the top 5 spots and representing 63 per cent of international bookings.

The remainder consisted of popular island spots such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Rarotonga.

While more of us are travelling, we don’t seem particularly eager to stray from the tried and true destinations; the top 10 destinations are identical to 2023 aside from London dropping from the list and being replaced by Tonga.

Domestic destinations reveal Easter trend

Given the Easter long weekend is only four days, it’s no surprise most Kiwis have chosen to stay nearby and travel domestically.

Webjet data has also revealed a trend recently spotted by Booking.com regarding what holidays Kiwis are keen for this long weekend.

Most Kiwis who booked through Webjet plan to visit Auckland (31 per cent), Christchurch (25 per cent), Wellington (19 per cent) or Queenstown (7 per cent), indicating a strong desire for a city getaway.

This is nearly identical to 2023, with the same top 5 destinations in the same order of popularity. New destinations that have made the 2024 Easter list include Invercargill (3 per cent), Napier and Rotorua (both 1 per cent).

Top 10 international destinations for Easter 2024

• Brisbane 21 per cent
• Melbourne 17 per cent
• Sydney 13 per cent
• Gold Coast 7 per cent
• Perth 5 per cent
• Fiji 5 per cent
• Samoa 4 per cent
• Bangkok 3 per cent
• Tonga 2 per cent
• Rarotonga 1 per cent

Top 10 domestic destinations booked for Easter 2024

• Auckland 31 per cent
• Christchurch 25 per cent
• Wellington 19 per cent
• Queenstown 7 per cent
• Dunedin 5 per cent
• Invercargill 3 per cent
• Nelson 2 per cent
• Palmerston North 2 per cent
• Napier 1 per cent
• Rotorua 1 per cent

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