An increasing number of millennials in India are looking to New Zealand as a holiday destination. In fact, arrival numbers from October 2018 showed a 68 per cent growth in the number of 25 to 34-year olds visiting New Zealand on holiday over the past 3 years*, with the age group accounting for 29 per cent of all holiday arrivals.
It is no surprise that New Zealand is attracting these young globetrotters. Millennial travellers seek unique experiences off the beaten track, and meaningful connections with people and places – all of which New Zealand is brimming with.
Here, we look at five of the top reasons why New Zealand has carved a name for itself as the holiday paradise for millennials.
1. A Taste of Movie Magic
New Zealand has an incredible track-record of providing spectacular filming locations for blockbuster movies such as The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia and Pete’s Dragon.
These blockbusters mean that New Zealand is right at the top of every film buff’s bucket list. In fact, in 2016 research found that around one third of international holiday visitors to New Zealand or 437,000 people, had a Middle-earth experience and nearly one in five claimed that The Hobbit was a factor in choosing to visit New Zealand.
To experience a bit of Hollywood, film tours such as the Wellington Movie Tours and Flat Earth Tours cover different locations from the films and provide props to help visitors capture the perfect Instagram photo.
2. YOLO Experiences
New Zealand is famous for adventure activities. You will know about the Kiwi invented sports of bungy jumping, jet boating and zorbing, but one of the real attractions is the plethora of lesser known unique experiences which feed into the adventurous spirit of the millennial traveller and allow them to stamp #yolo on social media.
How about paddling a kayak into enchanting glow worm canyon in Tauranga, experiencing the serenity of the spectacular back country around Queenstown on a guided snowshoe walk or soaking in geothermal mud in Rotorua? Or how about rafting on the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall in Rotorua, abseiling in the Bay of Islands or exploring the volcanic White Island in the Bay of Plenty? All of this and much more is possible on a New Zealand holiday.
3. The Highest Peaks and the Deepest Waters
A key feature of New Zealand is its diverse landscapes, boasting a highest point of 3,724m at the top of Mount Cook and a depth of 463m in its deepest lake, Lake Hauroko.
And what makes these diverse landscapes more appealing to Millennial travellers is the ways you can explore and interact with them: from a heli-hike on the Tasman Glacier with Mt Cook as a backdrop to an adventure cruise by small boat Lake Hauroko.
With such a range of landscapes and environments, travellers of all tastes will be able to find a spot for their dream holiday, whether it be an idyllic mountain hideaway or a relaxing seaside vacation.
4. Insta-Worthy Spots
A picture tells a thousand words. And for millennials, that has never been truer given how their lives and daily activities are often captured in that perfect picture and posted on social media channels.
New Zealand provides the perfect backdrop for millennial travellers looking to capture that perfect insta-worthy image to show off to friends and families, from posing next to New Zealand’s most Instagram-famous tree, That Wanaka Tree, to capturing the stunning landscape of Fran Josef Glacier on an ice-hiking adventure.
5. Unique Cultural Experiences
Māori are the indigenous people of the land of New Zealand, and their culture is an integral part of local life.
Visitors to New Zealand are presented with diverse opportunities to experience Māori culture first-hand in many parts of the country, including Rotorua where Māori pioneered cultural tourism in the early 19th century.
In fact, one newly launched must-do experience is Haka on the Park in Auckland which showcases the mana and power of Maori performing arts and gives visitors the opportunity to learn and perform their own haka.
