Auckland,
28
August
2018
|
00:00
Europe/Amsterdam

New Zealand travellers lag behind their style-conscious global travel counterparts

Booking.com reveals that while style can impact on holidays for global travelers - from mood and confidence, to transforming personal style while on holiday and back at home – statistics reveal New Zealanders lag a little behind in some aspects.

  • Over half of global travelers (57 per cent) pay close attention to their appearance every single day, but two out of five (39 per cent) actually care more about their physical appearance while on holiday than when at home. This compares with New Zealand travelers with two out of five (40 per cent) paying close attention to their appearance every single day and nearly one-third (30 per cdent) actually caring more about their physical appearance while on holiday than at home.
  • While almost half of global travelers agree that looking their best while on holiday is important (48 per cent) only 30 per cent of New Zealanders feel the same. More than two in five global travelers dress their best for holiday photos that are sure to make their way to social media (43 per cent) however only one-third of New Zealand travelers (32 per cent) acknowledge they do so.
  • Style choices can be the key to feeling great while on holiday. Four out of ten global travelers (39% per cent) and nearly one-third of New Zealand travelers (32 per cent) say that wearing a holiday wardrobe is the secret to holiday confidence.
  • The effects of holiday style last much longer than the trip itself. Almost half of global travelers (47 per cent) and more than two in five New Zealand travelers (42 per cent) have felt inspired to make changes to their own personal style after being on holiday.

Auckland, New Zealand – 3 September 2018 – Travel and fashion are a perfect match with almost half of all global travelers agreeing that looking their best while on holiday is important (48 per cent). While their New Zealand counterparts lag behind (30 per cent), it is clear that whether functional or fashionable, a holiday wardrobe is a big part of any trip, from planning and packing to the actual holiday experience itself.

Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travelers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, is championing the all-encompassing nature of travel and its ability to inspire the way we live our lives, including the experiences we have that impact our style, confidence and our fashion choices while traveling.

Research conducted by the company across 21,500 global travelers from 29 countries uncovers how fashion influences travel and confidence and impacts style choices while on holiday and beyond.

Look good, feel great

Holidays are a time when we leave our worries at home, escaping and immersing ourselves in a new environment. It’s no wonder then that almost two fifths (38 per cent) of global travelers and nearly one-third of New Zealand travelers (31 per cent) feel more confident while on vacation than at home - and want to be photo ready no matter the backdrop, whether it’s a stylish apartment balcony or villa complete with infinity pool. Holiday wardrobes have a significant part to play in this, with four out of ten global travelers (39 per cent) and one-third (32 per cent) of New Zealanders citing their travel wardrobe as the secret to holiday confidence, even over the relative anonymity that travelling can give us (35 per cent global and 31 per cent New Zealand travelers).

When delving deeper, New Zealand and global travelers’ top reason for holiday confidence are extremely similar - being with people they’re comfortable with, like friends and family (74 per cent and 73 per cent respectively). Conversely, a badly-planned wardrobe can ruin a travelers’ confidence. In particular, two out of five New Zealand travelers (40 per cent) cite one of the top reasons for feeling less self-assured while traveling being that their vacation clothes are functional rather than fashionable, compared with 24 per cent of their global counterparts.

Beyond confidence, a travel wardrobe has the ability to influence day to day moods while on holiday. When asked how style choices make us feel, the top three emotions listed by New Zealand travelers were being comfortable (65 per cent), relaxed (56 per cent) and happy (42 per cent). What’s more, the data shows that the vacation style feeling lasts much longer than the trip itself with almost half of us (47 per cent) feeling inspired to make changes to our own personal style after being away.

Style stimulation

When planning their travel apparel, New Zealand travelers are more likely to seek inspiration from their friends (80 per cent), family (69 per cent) and TV programmes (50 per cent) than their global counterparts who mine friends (60 per cent), family (60 per cent) and TV programmes (44 per cent). Kiwis and global travelers mine fashion and style influencers to a similar extent, 35 per cent and 37 per cent respectively, for ideas of what to take as part of the all-important holiday wardrobe. But there are also aspects of a holiday that can inspire a style revolution:

Aspects of a holiday that bring about a style revolution

60 per cent NZ and 53 per cent global cite the variety and style of clothes available at local shops and markets

45 per cent NZ and 47 per cent global find inspiration by embracing the local culture

57 per cent NZ and 43 per cent global are influenced by what local people wear

38 per cent NZ and 40 per cent global revel in the colors they see

20 per cent NZ and 32 per cent global seek inspiration from the landscape

30 per cent NZ and 25 per cent global are influenced by travel companions and what other travelers wear

New Zealand travelers are not as motivated by competition with only 13 per cent citing a desire to dress better than their companions on holiday, compared with 30 per cent of global travelers.

Top British fashion designer to superstars including Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and rapper Cardi B and Booking.com style ambassador Christian Cowan shares his style secrets: “It’s no wonder that what we see around us on vacation can transform what we wear at home. We get used to the norm of dressing a certain way back home but when we travel, our minds expand and we become open to new possibilities with style, fabric and color. Watching the locals is the best way to get inspiration. Experimenting with local style and translating it to your look back home can make you feel like a new person, whether it’s simply wearing your hair differently, trying a bolder color or tying on a scarf in a vibrant local print.”

Travelling outside the comfort zone

When it comes to style, travelers are not afraid to step out of their comfort zone while on holiday, trying new and different outfits that bring out hidden facets of a personality. Over one in three (35 per cent) global travelers and more than one in five New Zealand travelers (22 per cent) say their holiday outfits are brighter and more colorful than an everyday wardrobe. Global travelers are more adventurous with a quarter (25 per cent) saying they choose more daring clothing while on holiday compared with 14 per cent of New Zealand travelers. Only a small minority (9 per cent global and 7 per cent New Zealand) say they are more reserved or understated whilst on holiday. Travelling can also bring out styles only worn while on holiday, but never at home:

Style

Percentage of travelers who would wear this look while travelling, but never at home

Comfortable footwear

26 per cent (NZ), 28 per cent (global)

Skimpy hemlines (short shorts, dresses and skirts)

21 per cent (NZ), 27 per cent (global)

Huge sunglasses - the bigger the better!

14 per cent (NZ), 27 per cent (global)

Floppy large hats to protect us from the sun

20 per cent (NZ), 27 per cent (global)

Revealing swimwear

14 per cent (NZ), 20 per cent (global)

Peekaboo sheer fabrics

7 per cent (NZ), 14 per cent (global)

Wild facial hair

5 per cent (NZ), 10 per cent (global)

Christian Cowan adds: “A vacation is the time to get experimental with your style, the environment often allows you to be bold and adventurous with prints, textures, and accessories. It’s the perfect time to try out a new look that you wouldn’t necessarily wear at home, whether that’s due to a different culture or different climate. When it comes to vacation style I have one piece of advice: go big or go home!”

- Ends-

CONTACT DETAILS:

For further information, contact the Booking.com New Zealand Press Office;

[INSERT MAIL]/ [INSERT CONTACT NUMBER]

NOTES TO EDITORS

Booking.com conducted research among 21,500 respondents in 29 markets globally (Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, Brazil, India, United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Thailand, Russia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Colombia, Israel, South Korea). The fieldwork was carried out from 18th June – 16th July 2018.

About Booking.com:

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com now employs more than 17,000 employees in 198 offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travelers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in 43 languages, offer over 28.8 million total reported listings, including more than 5.5 million listings of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay,, and cover more than 138,000 destinations in 229 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether travelling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal accommodation quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, and for the latest news, data and insights, please visit our global media room