More Whanganui visitors post Covid-19, according to survey

The church at Hiruharama/Jerusalem is a Whanganui River tourist destination. Photo / Stuart Munro

Whanganui is one of the regions where there are likely to be more domestic visitors post Covid-19 than there were before the pandemic hit, according to Horizons Research.

A survey by the company found more than 57,000 New Zealanders would like to make Whanganui their domestic holiday destination in the next 12 months.

That number rises to 115,000 if it includes people who would like to take a domestic holiday but are not definitely intending to take one.

The figures come from a survey asking people's travel intentions once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

The main centres were popular destinations for people surveyed. In the regions the Bay of Islands, Queenstown, Coromandel and Rotorua were the top picks.

The Central Plateau also figured, with some 269,000 adults wanting to holiday in the Ruapehu/Tongariro area.

The survey asked what kind of holiday people would like. Scenery was the top enticement for 61 per cent but 59 per cent mainly wanted to relax and see other people.

Sixty per cent wanted a mixture of activities and quiet times.

The information was sought in the hope tourism marketers and operators will use it to target potential travellers.

The Horizon Research April 28-30 survey was done by 1131 members of the HorizonPoll national panel, representing the New Zealand population aged 18 and over.