A dark sky community is in the works for Kūaotunu, on the Coromandel Peninsula. Photo / NZME
A dark sky community is in the works for Kūaotunu, on the Coromandel Peninsula. Photo / NZME
Coromandel is gearing up for a busy summer with Kiwi travel trending towards deeper and darker connections, according to new research.
Global online travel company Booking.com has revealed that five Coromandel destinations are in the top 10 trending places in New Zealand.
Hot Water Beach, Pāuanui and Tairua are the top three, with Coromandel town and Hahei coming in at seventh and eighth.
To understand how travellers were breaking away from the status quo, Booking.com commissioned research among more than 27,000 travellers across 33 countries and territories – including more than 1000 from New Zealand – to present nine travel predictions for 2025.
Among Kiwis, the top trend was noctourism – night-time experiences, such as stargazing.
Three-quarters of respondents said a starbathing experience was appealing when responding to questions in the noctoursim section of the survey.
When low tide and the stars align, the Coromandel community of Kūaotunu is one of the places to be, along with regions such as Kaikōura and Aoraki Mackenzie.
Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula is New Zealand's No 1 trending travel spot, according to Booking.com.
Starry nights on the Kūaotunu peninsula are a step closer to being protected with the Biosphere Dark Sky Project submitting a plan change to the Thames-Coromandel District Council.
The project aims to preserve the darkness of the sky north of Whitianga by putting in place policies to prevent light pollution.
It has received funding through Destination Hauraki Coromandel and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
According to DarkSky International (DSI), dark sky areas protect ecologically sensitive areas and universal heritage in the night sky.
Certified areas are required to use quality outdoor lighting, effective policies to reduce light pollution, ongoing stewardship practices and more.
More than half of the survey respondents said they would seek out accommodation with less light pollution.
Destination Hauraki Coromandel marketing manager Megan Nunn said expanding themes of wellness travel were in second place on Kiwi priority lists.
Booking.com research validated the organisation’s Coromandel Cure campaign, showing 56% of travellers were looking for new wellness activities, she said.
“With five of the 10 destinations being featured in Hauraki-Coromandel, plus the desire towards experiencing the world in new ways, this is an opportune time for our local travel industry to showcase what the region has to offer.”
Driven by the desire to cultivate better lifestyle choices through slow travel, 59% of Kiwi travellers were interested in taking a longevity retreat where temporary fixes were replaced in pursuit of a longer, healthier life.
Deep revitalisation was a top priority for some travellers, from body vibration (53%) and red-light therapies (54%) to cryotherapy (36%) and stem cell treatment (37%).
More than half (56%) were looking for wellness activities they could mix into their daily lives.
Coromandel Shelly Beach Top 10 Holiday Park operator Aaron McFarlane agreed with the research.
“Summer inquiries and bookings indicate a strong season with people keen to experience all that is good for your soul.”
Melissa Ellison, area manager at Booking.com, said the underlying theme for 2025 was that travel was not about ticking off the bucket list but instead breaking away from travel norms and cultivating experiences that counted.
Top 10 trending destinations for 2025 according to Booking.com
