Study reveals why Kiwis are hesitant to travel overseas after Covid-19

Many Kiwis are desparate to get away and reunite with family overseas but are nervous about the high costs and risk of getting stuck by border restrictions according to a new study.

International borders have almost entirely opened, pre-departure tests have been scrapped and it's no surprise Kiwis are keen to hop on a plane and travel the world again.

Why are Kiwis travelling?

When it came to 'why', the study from online travel company Booking.com found over half of Kiwis wanted to see family (53 per cent), 47 per cent want to 'get away' and 27 per cent were rebooking a trip they had postponed due to Covid.

What's holding us back?

Despite being cooped up for two years (or maybe because of this), Kiwis are hesitant about hopping back on an international plane for a few key reasons.

Almost half (48 per cent) were worried about the 'possibility of getting stuck because of frequently changing border regulations' as well as being concerned about having to cancel a booking last minute due to border restrictions (35 per cent).

The second biggest deterrent to travel was the cost (47 per cent).

Fortunately, if Covid-related challenges and troubles do occur while abroad, it won't take many Kiwis by surprise.

74 per cent said they felt neutral about or accepted that disruptions were part of the 'new normal' for post-Covid travel.

On the arrivals side of the situation, 82 per cent of Kiwis were comfortable or neutral about welcoming in international visitors. Not only that, 79% felt confident that Aotearoa was ready to do so.

The insights drawn were part of Booking.com's first APAC Travel Confidence Index, which measures consumer confidence about exploring the world again and travel motivations.

The commissioned research polled 11,000 travellers (1000 of which were from Aotearoa) from 11 countries and territories, between April and May 2022. The company's own proprietary data and insights were also combined into the study.