Photo: 123RF
New Zealanders are booking more international trips than ever, with House of Travel reporting surging demand, shifting destination trends, and a rebound in corporate travel.
The agency said demand for 2026 is its strongest on record, with early bookings rising sharply as travellers lock in trips well ahead of time.
It said forward bookings for the year were at record levels – both in dollars spent and in the total number of travellers.
Chief operating officer Brent Thomas stressed that these trips were “two‑way,” meaning those travellers would return home afterwards.
Australia was the top destination, accounting for half of all bookings.
But Thomas said travel patterns were changing, with more people opting for Asia – where the weaker New Zealand dollar went further – and Europe.
Bookings to the United States had dropped, which he said was “mostly” due to the strong US dollar, making it more expensive to travel there.
Thomas said New Zealanders’ appetite for international travel remained remarkably resilient.
“They have a budget, so when the dollar is down slightly, they may say instead of going for 14 days, they’ll go for 11 – or, as we’re seeing, more are choosing Asia where the dollar goes a little bit further.”
Airlines continued to add flights into New Zealand, giving travellers more choice, which supported booking numbers, he noted.
Thomas said travellers were also booking more than just airfares – they were purchasing “everything” through the agency, including hotels, sightseeing, and cruises, which had grown strongly over the past decade.
Corporate travel rebounds ahead of 2026
Alongside growing holiday demand, House of Travel also saw a rebound in corporate travel – something Thomas described as an “economic canary in the coal mine”.
“Corporate travel is easy to switch off when things are down, but what we’re seeing going into 2026 is that corporates are definitely spending more,” he said.
Thomas said more business travellers were heading overseas, signalling increasing confidence in the economy as companies restarted face‑to‑face visits to reconnect with suppliers and customers.
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