NZ travellers lured to 'museums more than beaches'

'Unwinders' just want to sit back and watch the world go by... Picture / Reuters.

Exploring historic Greek ruins, taking in the Louvre in Paris or discovering the French canals are more likely to be on New Zealand travellers' itinerary than beaches and golf courses, according to a recent survey.

The United Travel poll of nearly 11,500 people showed 35 per cent were lured to destinations rich in culture, compared with 24 per cent of respondents who just want to relax in the sun.

The survey found that New Zealand travellers fall into four different groups that describes travel personalities - culturalists, connoisseurs, unwinders and adventurers.

Culturalists are interested in visiting historical sites, art galleries and museums and most head to Europe.

And most people hungry for a culture fix come from the West Coast, where more than 43 per cent look for culture in their trips.

Connoisseurs - making up 25 per cent respondents - look for the finer things in life, such as shopping in London, New York and Paris or taking in the Milan fashion shows.

The study found these travellers do not stay at resorts, instead preferring boutique lodges or high class hotels and apartments.

Gisborne residents top the connoisseurs with 40 per cent preferring this type of holiday.

The Unwinders, who just want to get to their destination and relax, tend to come from Hawke's Bay, Nelson, Taranaki and also the West Cost - 26 per cent living in those regions saying they just want to sit back and watch the world go by.

And, surprisingly, adventurers came a distant fourth in the survey, given our reputation for enjoying risky outdoor pursuits.

Adventurer travellers can be found trekking in Nepal, joining camel caravans in North Africa, and mountain biking in Colorado.

People from Marlborough are more likely to select an adventure holiday, according to the regional breakdown figures. At 28 per cent they are well ahead of most other regions, with only Otago coming close.

United Travel marketing manager Wendy van Lieshout said the results indicated that New Zealanders, who were already among the world's top travellers, were becoming more sophisticated in their tastes and destination choices.

"We've moved a long way from the days when large numbers of New Zealanders just headed off to the UK to do their OE and families went on package deals to a resort for their holidays," she said.

"They are going for unique destinations, places that are a little off the beaten track and less formulaic. And if they can learn something about the culture of the place they are visiting, so much the better - it makes for a far more interesting holiday."

Destinations that fall into that category include China, Vietnam, Eastern Europe, South America and also Cuba, Ms van Lieshout said.

Another trend that has continued since the New York 9/11 attacks and the Bali bombings is an increase in the number of people looking for safe destinations, where they are less likely to become terrorist targets, she said.

- NZPA