New data from global travel brand Luxury Escapes points to a strong year ahead for premium leisure travel, with Kiwi travellers increasingly looking beyond traditional hotspots towards more immersive, higher-value experiences.
Hotel bookings made by New Zealand customers via Luxury Escapes are up 26% year-on-year to October 2025, with Japan (+56%), Thailand (+24%) and Indonesia/Bali (+14%) leading the growth. Australia and Fiji remain core favourites, but the shift towards Asia’s premium city and resort experiences is clearly accelerating.
Luxury Escapes Co-Founder and CEO Adam Schwab said New Zealand remains a key growth market for both inbound and outbound travel. “We’re seeing strong demand for the exceptional-value, high-end packages we’re known for in places like Thailand, Fiji and Bali. More recently, Japan has surged, particularly at the premium end, showing that Kiwi travellers are eager to broaden their horizons, in style.”
To deepen engagement with Kiwi customers, Luxury Escapes has now rolled out its Société rewards programme in New Zealand. Launched earlier this year in Australia, Société has already attracted close to 900,000 members and is positioned as a lifestyle-focused programme with simple, flexible redemption.
Membership is free, with travellers able to earn Status Credits and Points across holidays, tours, hotel bookings, flights and experiences on Luxury Escapes, then redeem Points with no blackout dates. Société’s tiered structure Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum brings benefits such as guaranteed room upgrades at the time of booking, lounge access at Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and major Australian gateways, private chauffeur airport transfers, 24/7 priority support and member-only offers.
“Société Points are real currency and not restricted like most travel programs,” said Schwab. “Our customers can redeem their Points for absolutely everything on Luxury Escapes, from tours, flights, and experiences to travel insurance and hotel rooms, whenever they want. Members can pay with Points, or a mix of Points and cash.”
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