Hi Travelbuggers,
We’ve just finished tallying the results of the Travelbug and Holiday Houses survey that we conducted in July that over 8,000 travel-mad Kiwis completed. The results are in and once again Queenstown tops the list as the most preferred next destination, but more on that later.
The more interesting result is the growing demand for cheap internet at paid accommodation with Kiwis demanding low-cost connectivity more than ever. The survey results show a 45% jump in the number of Kiwis who want internet included in accommodation room rates versus last year’s survey, and 59% state that internet is at least somewhat important in choosing where to stay.
The survey also shows that cheap wi-fi is more important than fast wi-fi with the former beating even television as the top choice for most important tech item for accommodation.
We reckon that this shows that it is vital for accommodation operators to be thinking about wi-fi in their product offering and if they don’t make it a high priority, they’ll be missing out on potential guests who’ll look for operators that offer wi-fi.
The good news for these operators is that it doesn’t have to be free internet. 50% of Kiwis said they’d be happy to pay up to $10 for 24 hours of internet, so the service can be relatively cost-neutral for operators. We’ll be doing some work on Travelbug in the next wee while to better promote properties that have free internet, so watch out for that.
On the non-tech front, Queenstown was again voted the favourite next destination AND the destination of which Kiwis have the fondest memories, with Coromandel coming in at #2 for both. These are gorgeous destinations with lots to see and do so it isn’t surprising that they have a lot of avid fans, but this is certainly an accolade for the tourism businesses in those areas doing such a great job.
There were a few other interesting tidbits in the survey such as poor cleanliness topping the list of things that would put Kiwis off staying somewhere again, and the fact that Kiwis are more likely to complain directly to a tourism operator than complain online.
You can see the results of the survey here. Well done to Donna S from the Hutt Valley who won the iPad mini. Thanks to all of those who completed our survey – it really does help us learn more about what Kiwis want and need when they travel!
Where do YOU want to travel next and why, and is free internet important to you?