People were travelling throughout their lives not just in their later years and he was seeing some change in requests for "I need a holiday rather than I want one".
Mondo Travel owner Annie Sale said business was up on last year and the agency had bookings as far forward as December 2015. Cruising had become a lot more affordable over the past 10 years due to the sheer number of ships that had been built, she said.
A large percentage of its clients were choosing to combine a cruise with a coach tour, especially in Europe where the average holiday length tends to be four to six weeks, she said.
Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom and Asia were top holiday spots.
A seasoned traveller, Mrs Sale said swimming with reef sharks in a lagoon at Bora Bora was one of her most memorable highlights.
House of Travel Papamoa owner-operator Tanya Aitken said the outbound travel market had increased, with many people taking on new experiences and going further afield. "More reasonably priced airfares, increased competition, a strong New Zealand dollar over 2014 and easily accessible destinations have helped drive the market."
People were also choosing to focus on one country to ensure quality, intensive experiences rather than a multitude of countries in one holiday, she said.
Its clients' favoured destinations included the United Kingdom, Europe, the South Pacific and the United States, while Bali and Hawaii were becoming more popular.
However, she had just returned from canal boating in France with her young family, Samantha, 7, and Zoe 5, and said it was a great holiday.
"The children absolutely loved it ... the diversity in culture, food and sightseeing.
"It was active and relaxing. Children are so adaptable, they travel so well and there is no reason to put these trips off until they have left home.
"Seeing Europe through a child's eyes was an unforgettable experience for me."
It was possible to save and plan for an offshore holiday, even on the smallest budget, she said.
