Kiwis have refound their wings. Last year, 2.68 million of us took trips overseas, numbers that are back to 88% of pre-pandemic levels. And as the tourism numbers increase, both domestically and internationally, more of us are calling on the expert services of travel agents to ensure that our dream holidays don’t turn into vacation nightmares.
As Canstar Blue’s latest research into the travel market reveals, New Zealanders rely on travel agents not only to secure them the best deals, but also to provide expert advice and local knowledge of their chosen destinations.
Indeed, the 1000 Kiwi travellers who took part in Canstar Blue’s latest awards survey rated Advice and Destination Knowledge as the two most important factors when rating their choice of travel agents.
Our research was also clear on the nation’s No.1 travel agency: YOU Travel, the winner of Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers | Travel Agents Award 2024.
YOU Travel: Travel Agents Award 2024 Winner
In this year’s award ratings, YOU Travel is the standout performer, earning a clean sweep of top 5-Star ratings across all our ratings categories, including for Advice, Level of Local Knowledge, Friendliness of Agent and Price.
Given that none of the other six major travel agency brands eligible for our award earn a single 5-Star rating between them, YOU Travel’s achievement is a huge testament to the level of service and support offered by its expert staff.
You Travel
YOU Travel is part of the First Travel Group, New Zealand’s leading independent travel alliance, and one of the the country’s oldest retail travel brands.
It boasts 30 Kiwi-owned and operated stores across New Zealand, and specialises in premium cruise packages, as well as unique travel destinations around the globe. It also offers an extensive corporate service catering to all business travel requirements
For more details on YOU Travel’s range of travel packages and destinations, check out the company’s website here. Or for more on Canstar’s Blue’s best-rated travel agents, click on the button below.
Compare Travel Agents with Canstar
Travel Safe with the No.1 in Travel Insurance
Holidays promise carefree relaxation away from work pressures and domestic chores. However, plenty of unforeseen events can ruin the best-laid vacation plans, from illness and accidents to the loss or theft of possessions.
If the worst does happen, a dream holiday can turn into a financial nightmare, especially if you’re left facing bills for medical treatments overseas or for life-saving repatriation. This is why ensuring you have adequate insurance cover before you jet off or sail away on your overseas adventure is a travel essential.
But trying to find the best insurance cover can be complicated. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, as policy details and costs vary, depending on your age and choice of destination. And comparing different levels of cover and costs can be complicated.
But that’s where Canstar can help. As part of our mission to inform Kiwi consumers about the best financial products in the market, each year we analyse a wide range of travel insurance products and award the best providers our prestigious awards and Star Ratings for Outstanding Value Travel Insurance. For a full rundown on the best in NZ travel insurance, click on the big button below.
Canstar’s Best Value Travel Insurance NZ
About the editor of this page
This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.
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