New Zealand has been a latecomer to the post-Covid bounceback, as it didn’t fully reopen until last May, but demand is building and customers are spending more, with the destination also neatly fitting the back-to-nature, experiential luxury zeitgeist.

The UK is the destination’s fourth largest source market, previously delivering around 100,000 holidaymakers a year, with the same number again visiting friends and relatives, and the peak month of January saw a reassuring return to 72% of 2019’s UK tourist figures. The Fifa Women’s World Cup across Australia and New Zealand this July and August may also help with off-peak demand.

Emma Maidment, New Zealand senior product executive at Audley Travel, says: “We’re seeing clients enquire as far ahead as 2025 already. Demand isn’t quite back to pre-pandemic levels yet, but it’s definitely continuing to grow back to that level.”

For specialists Anzcro, ex-UK departures to year ending February 2023 were 60% of pre-pandemic figures, with demand not the biggest issue. “The challenge for travel to New Zealand in the past year has been securing aviation capacity,” explains sales director Shubhra Halliday. “This is now starting to increase steadily, and the industry is rebuilding strongly with lots of new and exciting product.”

Similarly, Gold Medal’s New Zealand sales are at 65% of 2019 levels. For its Pure Luxury brand, most bookings are still flight-only, suggesting VFR, but packages, including high-end lodge stays, are recovering. And the best news is that travellers are splashing out. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in business class flights to New Zealand, and longer stays,” says Deborah Wadhams, head of product, East. “Also, escorted touring has increased hugely for us, as customers seem to want that fully guided experience.”

She highlights sales of local escorted coach touring company Grand Pacific Tours’ product are going well. “Their Ultimate tours are proving especially popular with our luxury customers, due to their ‘business class’ coaches, and the higher standard of accommodation used.”

This is echoed by Audley’s Maidment: “Clients are looking to travel for longer and wanting to stay in higher standard accommodation, as well as choosing to spend more on their trip this year.”

Squeezed post-pandemic air capacity is also improving. Direct flights from Dubai to Auckland with Emirates were reinstated in December and now include Premium Economy. Qatar will relaunch Doha to Auckland from September, while Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand serve the country via Singapore. Air New Zealand also recently debuted flights via New York, which may prove an attractive alternative. United Airlines will meanwhile add the first non-stop service between San Francisco and Christchurch in December.

“New Zealand aligns really well with what the luxury traveller wants… experience-based luxury, transformational travel and diversity of experiences, complemented with outstanding luxury and boutique properties,” says Kate Fenton, regional trade manager UK & Europe for Tourism New Zealand.

She stresses the variety of product from alpine to beach, adding: “Anecdotally, we know clients are spending more, and New Zealand is delivering strong revenue for agents and operators. It’s a bucket-list destination for the UK market; clients want to make the most of their trip and indulge.”

Alluring adventures

New Zealand’s key draw is for scenic touring, taking in the sub-tropical and steamy geothermal landscapes of the North Island and glaciers and fjords of the South, while learning about Maori heritage.

The country’s lodge accommodation is particularly celebrated, many of the best grouped under the Luxury Lodges of New Zealand umbrella. High-end travellers may also wish to linger at the vineyards around Napier and Hawkes Bay. Inspired by New Zealand’s America’s Cup victories they could also take yacht excursions from “City of Sails” Auckland. Helicopter experiences are also possible: Carrier suggests a champagne picnic on Mount Cook while Audley’s Ultimate Luxury tour uses scenic helicopter transfers.

For adventurous clients New Zealand’s Great Walks may be enticing. The newest, added this year, is the Tuatapere Hump Ridge track, a challenging three-day loop along the south coast. Meanwhile the Taranaki Crossing in Egmont National Park opened this May, connecting and upgrading tracks on Mount Taranaki, an important spiritual site for Maoris, to create a 24-mile multi-day hike.

Ambitious post-pandemic itineraries are in demand, Anzcro notes. Halliday says: “Clients are choosing more unique experiences and locations, and destinations slightly o the beaten path. Their itineraries are now longer, and they’re seeking out luxury properties at every destination of their stay.” She says a typical North Island stay might start in Auckland, cover a few days at The Landing in the Bay of Islands, then Rotorua’s On The Point or Solitaire Lodge and Taupo’s Huka Lodge on Waikato River.

She adds: “We’re seeing this trend for extended luxury at every touchpoint of an itinerary, from private transfers to helicopter sightseeing to high-end overnight cruises. All-inclusive stays are also popular.

“Guests are seeking luxurious experiences nestled in nature, and arguably New Zealand does that better than anywhere.”

Upmarket touring options have increased. In October, Heritage Expeditions welcomed new 140- guest expedition flagship Heritage Adventurer, which offers three coastal New Zealand voyages including Unseen Fiordland and Stewart Island. On the TranzAlpine train, clients can now upgrade to Scenic Plus level, o ering more personalised service and a private open-air viewing carriage.

Halliday says she’s most excited about new product “with a Kiwi twist”. She notes improvements along the Hollyford Track mean this four-day hike close to Queenstown can now be tackled in “relative luxury” with nightly four-star accommodation.

In with the new 

Anzcro and Gold Medal both highlight Altitude Tours’ new Heli Gin tour, which features distillery and mountaintop tastings around Queenstown, and PurePods, which have expanded from four pre-pandemic to eleven. “These totally private, secluded and luxurious glass cabins with stunning views of the New Zealand landscape, offer a completely immersive and unique experience,” says Gold Medal’s Wadhams. “Luxury travel in New Zealand is very much about the destinations and the experiences.”