New Zealand’s Top Destinations Revealed

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

New Zealand’s Top Destinations Revealed

NORTH Island coastal gem Taranaki has been announced as New Zealand’s number one destination to experience following a trans-Tasman consumer poll conducted by leading travel experience provider Experience Oz and NZ.

More than 2000 votes were cast by both New Zealand and Australian consumers which saw the local vote pushing Taranaki over the line to take out top honours ahead of The Coromand Stratford Glockenspiel and Mt Taranaki

el and Queenstown.

The absence of major cities Auckland and Christchurch from the top ten shows that Australian tourists are keen to head off the beaten track and immerse themselves more in the land and culture of regional New Zealand.

Also making the New Zealand Top Ten Destinations to Experience list were Nelson, Bay of Islands, Milford Sound, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, Ruapehu and West Coast.

Venture Taranaki CEO Stuart Trundle said that he was very pleased but wasn’t surprised by the region winning the top spot.

“Of course it will come as no surprise to the locals that Taranaki has been voted the number one destination to experience in New Zealand,” Mr Trundle said.

“The region offers a huge array of activities that make the most of our legendary landscape and energetic locals, all with a backdrop of our magnificent mountain.

“I’d encourage anyone who didn’t vote for Taranaki to come and see what they’re missing and what all their friends are talking about in this and many other consumer polls and social channels.”

The initial shortlist of 20 New Zealand destinations featured the best cities, natural icons, adventure capitals and local favourites including Auckland, Dunedin, Hawkes Bay, Nelson, Stewart Island, Wellington and plenty more, with regional tourism offices really getting involved and encouraging their local communities to vote.

Experience Oz and NZ Business Development Manager Michelle Woodroff said the New Zealand Top Ten Destinations to Experience consumer poll is a great opportunity to identify the best destinations in New Zealand for the local, regional and international tourism market to visit.

“With Australians accounting for almost half of all visitors and therefore New Zealand’s largest inbound tourism market, the results show what they believe to be the best experiences, and also what the New Zealand locals believe to be the hidden gems of their homeland” Ms Woodroff said.

“Sitting beneath the peak of Mt Taranaki and offering picturesque views, culture, rugged coastline and experiences that spread across land, water and air, it is no surprise that the Taranaki region has been crowned as the top destination to experience in New Zealand.

“We have more than 2000 experiences available for people to browse through from sky diving, to jet boating, to wine tours and hiking trips. We want to encourage people to step outside of their region and explore these beautiful destinations,” she said.

Experience Oz and NZ offers a best price guarantee on tours, attractions and activities with no booking or credit card fees and unbiased reviews all on a secure online booking site.

Over 2000 products including theme park tickets, attraction tickets, day tours, hot air ballooning, jet boating, whale watching and great dinner and show packages are all on offer at Experience Oz and NZ with customers able to skip the queues at most attractions and save valuable holiday time.

New Zealand’s Top Ten Destinations to Experience List: