Hot air ballooning beckons visitors to Christchurch

Calcuttans travelling to New Zealand are staying longer and spending more than tourists from the rest of the country. A startling statistic from Kiwiland that is bound to fly in the face of the reputation of Bengalis as price-sensitive.

Tourists from the city make up five to eight per cent of the total traffic pie headed Down Under. And if you thought Indians score low on daredevilry, be informed that a growing section chooses its destinations with the sole purpose of indulging in high adventure sports like sky-diving and bungee-jumping.

So, Tourism New Zealand is touching down with a host of summer packages.

In association with Thomas Cook, it has announced four packages valid till September 30 ? New Zealand Naturally, at Rs 95,080 per person; Kiwi Discovery at Rs 95,750 per person; Unspoilt New Zealand at Rs 95,920 per person and Southern Sojourn, costing Rs 95,000 each.

?This summer, our packages are spread over longer durations ? 13-14 days against 9-10 days last year. New Zealand is such a vast country and our survey has revealed that a shorter stay leaves a tourist dissatisfied,? says Kiran Nambiar, country head of Tourism New Zealand.

The expenditure, though, is not dipping. ?Unlike the Far East, New Zealand is a good 15 hours away by flight,? reasons Nambiar.

Yet, the volume of vacationing traffic is increasing.

Nambiar ascribes the rise to better awareness. ?Indian driving licence is recognised in New Zealand and they have left-side driving, too. Since petrol is cheaper there, it makes sense to hire a car and zip off to the countryside, as the route winds by lakes and rivers and forests. That is exactly what more and more Indian tourists are doing.?

Travellers can cut down on their boarding expenses by choosing an address suiting their pocket. ?The range is vast ? from luxury hotels to motels, bed-and-breakfast arrangements and home stays,? Nambiar adds.

The island nation, which shot into prominence with the filming of Kaho Naa... Pyar Hai, has seen the shooting of over 120 movies since the Hrithik Roshan hit. ?Even Tamil and Telugu films are being shot there.?

But one sore point remains the fact that New Zealand is rarely woven into the storyline. So, when Hrithik romances Kareena in Main Prem ki Diwani Hoon or Sunny Deol spreads his Jaal in Kiwi country, audiences mistake the locale for Europe. ?We are trying our best to educate the travel operators,? Nambiar says.