| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 04/09/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 38 |
| Copyright: Other |
Product update by Matt Bond
Row your boat in waters full of adventure
Demand rises for activities
New Zealand has long been regarded as the country of choice for adventure lovers.This relationship looks set to flourish this year with operators reporting increased interest in a wide range of activities from self-drives to more active trekking holidays.
Abercrombie and Kent has found the demand for active holidays so great that it launched an Active brochure last Friday, featuring 30 programmes from around the world, including New Zealand.
Active brand manager John Perry said: “We’re getting a feel for the market and everyone is doing something active. We decided to launch a brochure to satisfy people’s needs.”
The New Zealand programme takes in activities such as trekking, jet boating, caving, white-water rafting and swimming with dolphins at various places including Queenstown, Rotorua and the Coromandel Peninsula.
“This is relatively unique in travel for the luxury end of the market,” added Perry.
“People are working harder and holidays are getting shorter so they are participating rather than just being shown the world.”
The programme is offered for both groups and individuals on a full-board basis, inclusive of activities, flights and transfers. Prices lead in at £3,500 for group departures starting from January 11, and £3,790 for two people sharing.Ê
Kuoni product manager Jayne White agreed with the potential for New Zealand’s active market and confirmed that next year the operator will be researching some of the more adventurous product on offer. It offers the Shotover Trio excursion in Queenstown which includes a jet boat ride, a helicopter flight over the Remarkables mountain range and white-water rafting.
A new Kuoni Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific brochure released in October will see the introduction ofÊa combined walking and kayaking tour in the Abel Tasman area of the South Island and this will be used as a benchmark to gauge future interest in more active holidays.
“We are looking into a bit more adventure and will see how the walking tour goes in its first year,” said White.Ê
Other New Zealand operators are cautious about adopting a more active product however. The independent traveller has long been the mainstay of New Zealand’s adventure market and operators cannot see this about to change.
Travel 2 product manager Andrea Robinson said: “There is a great deal of publicity for new adrenalin activities like zorbing and fly-by-wire (see page 39) but in reality these are still niche products, typically booked by younger travellers.
“We believe the real opportunity for agents lies with the more mainstream soft-adventure products which have more universal appeal.”
Quantas Holidays has seen a 6.7% growth in business to New Zealand this year and is adapting its brochure by including more products such as self-drives and walking tours.
Product and marketing manager Sally Pollitt said: “We are seeing a trend towards people asking for soft-adventure holidays in all our destinations and this is definitely the case with New Zealand.
“The younger set are staying longer and spend more money on activities and attractions with almost 100% taking part in adventure.”
Wet and wild: the Shotover Trio excursion includes a jet boat ride, helicopter flight andwhite-water rafting
Row your boat: kayaking will feature in Kuoni’s new brochure
Rapid adventure:white-waterrafting is a popular activity
product
Activity holidays
Qantas Holidays: sells a 15-night soft-adventure package which includes seven days touring the North Island in a self-drive campervan and a five-day guided Milford Track tour. The holiday offers clients the opportunity to explore the country with a Tranzcoastal train journey along the Pacific coast of the South Island with a flight to Queenstown also included. The price is £2,045 per person and includes flights on Qantas and British Airways to Auckland via Los Angeles.