Snow sport popularity on a roll: poll

Destination Queenstown says it is encouraged by a poll that suggests more than 80,000 New Zealanders will be give skiing or snowboarding a try for the first time this winter.

DQ chief executive Tony Everitt was asked to comment on the latest Mood of the New Zealand Traveller Survey, recently released by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand.

The survey of 1016 New Zealanders aged 18 and older, and interviewed online in June, found almost one in five Kiwis (19%) planned to go skiing or snowboarding this season.

"It would be lovely to see that demand materialise into business," Mr Everitt said.

"The feedback we're getting is, now that the fields are open, there are pretty good numbers in town.

"Obviously, it's early days and we've got to see whether those numbers are going to pan out."

Mr Everitt said there had been a strong year-on-year marketing effort from Queenstown, which included promotions by the Winter Festival, the airport, airlines, NZSki, DQ and in the media.

The resort featured on television news programmes virtually every night for the past month, he said.

"That's pretty significant exposure to the domestic market, which is what this is talking about. All the million Kiwis up in Auckland, who don't have any of their own snow and watching, you'd be thinking it would be piquing their interest."

The poll found skiing was still the most popular snow sport, favoured by almost twice the number of Kiwis who were snowboarders. Of respondents, 11% said they were going skiing, 6% flagged going snowboarding and 2% were doing both.

South Island skifields were favourites with Kiwis. Coronet Peak, followed by Cardrona, were voted the best places to ski or snowboard by powder fans.

Queenstown was also polled as the third most desirable urban spot to visit in winter, after Wellington (in first place) and Auckland. Rotorua moved into fourth place from eighth place, in the March poll.

The poll found 43% of New Zealanders were planning an overseas trip in the next six months. Australia, the United States and United Kingdom were the three top favoured international destinations.