Fewer planning holiday spending splurges – survey

8th September 2021 By Staff Reporter | news@tourismticker.com | @tourismticker

The proportion of people planning to spend more on a domestic holiday in the next three to six months dropped to 20% in September 2021 from 35% in August, according to a survey from former Bank of New Zealand chief economist Tony Alexander.

This was also a drop from the 35% planning to spend more on a domestic holiday recorded in September 2020.

Tony Alexander

“Plans for domestic travel have been firm but on an easing trend since a year ago,” said Alexander in his monthly Spending Plans Survey.

“This month’s decline clearly reflects lockdown protocols and recovery is likely as we get freed and as we pass through spring into summer.”

He said the move away from planning for international travel continued to intensify in September, a trend that had been steadily gaining momentum since April.

“One of the clearest trends in recent months has been a decline in plans for travelling offshore associated with the spread of Covid’s Delta variant and more latterly the ending of the trans-Tasman bubble.”

The balance between planning for international travel and domestic travel was likely to alter when the opportunity to travel offshore reappeared presumably from early next year.

Those planning to eat out in the next three to six months also dropped away in the latest survey but this was likely to surge as lockdowns ended.

“The jump in eating out plans last year when Auckland’s lockdown ended suggests we will see a surge in our eating away from home when the end of lockdown this time around is confirmed,” Alexander said.

The top area where people planned on spending more in the next three to six months was home renovations, at 27%.

The independent economic commentator’s latest Spending Plans Survey had 1094 respondents from across New Zealand.

Read his latest survey here.