This is the hottest ski destination right now

This is the hottest ski destination right now

Hanmer Springs is the best ski destination in the world right now, and here is why…

As the winter landscapes welcomes another season of snowfall in New Zealand, the floodgates have opened for thousands of Australian travellers hoping to cram in a week of ski and adventure travel.

This winter, Australians are looking at AUD $289 a night for an average stay of five nights in Queenstown, the most popular Kiwi destination according to Australian search trends from Trivago.com.au.

But, before Aussies take the leap across the Trans-Tasman, they should take a second to consider even better value for their ski trip funds may lie outside of the top tourist hub.

In a yearly analysis of ski destination rankings, Trivago uncovered Hanmer Springs as the ski destination with the best reputation for accommodation in the world this time of year.

This is the second year running that Hanmer Springs has topped the southern hemisphere, outranking all other Kiwi, Australian, Argentinian and Chilean ski resort towns.

Hanmer Springs is the 15th most searched Kiwi destination for Australian travellers, and is 50 percent cheaper than Queenstown, according to Australian travellers average clicked prices.

The less than one percent of Australian travellers that are heading to the town are only staying for around two nights at an average price of AUD $192 a night.

Australia constitutes 98 percent of incoming tourism during the winter months, and over 46 percent of all searches made for New Zealand during the ski season are for Queenstown.

Screen Shot 2017-07-14 at 9.29.03 AM

Wanaka also outranked Queenstown, placing third behind Argentinian ski town, Villa la Angostura. Despite being a one hour drive from Queenstown, Wanaka is the sixth most searched destination by Australians who are spending around four nights for 34 percent less than those heading to Queenstown. The average clicked price for Wanaka is AUD $215 a night.

In the global rankings, which considers all destinations regardless of seasonality differences, Hanmer Springs is still rated 20th in the entire world for 2017. The top destinations are predominantly European, topped by Tux-Hintertux, Austria followed by Samnaun Dorf, Switzerland and Beaver Creek, USA.

The rankings include towns that offer ski facilities and host ten or more local hotels. Their ranking is determined according to the average score of all the local hotels’ user ratings online.

Screen Shot 2017-07-14 at 9.34.52 AM

Jindabyne was the only Australian ski destination to rank in the top 20 destinations this side of the equator, at 17th.

The top 10 rankings only focuses on cities in the Southern Hemisphere. The cities included in the index have ten hotels or more and collectively at least 4000 online user ratings of local hotels. The maximum rating possible is 100.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

    Latest comments
    1. you are kidding right ? The best deals by far are for Colorado. You can get a spacious 4 star, 2 bedroom on snow condo that can sleep up to 8 people, in a major resort for less than AUD$300/night for any nights from 1 January to 8 March 2018 excluding 12-14 January & 16-18 February 2018 which are long weekends in USA. If you book 10 nights then lift tickets are not USD$180/day/adult & USD$115/day/child, but only USD$25/adult & FREE for up to 4 kids per paying adult. Book 14 nights & lifts are cheaper still at USD$22.50/adult.
      All lifts come with lift line priority. this represents up to 96.5% off lift tickets.
      (the AUD$1 = USD$0.79 right now, best in over 2 years), so USA is very cheap. Cheaper now than when on par. Why ? Massive price war.

skiing trivago

Latest News

  • Destinations
  • News

APT Launches 2025 Asia Adventures

APT has launched its Asia Adventures for 2025, including new luxury holidays in India, Sri Lanka and Japan. Five new tours lead guests to the highlights of India, including a seven-night cruise along the rarely travelled Lower Ganges aboard the Ganges Voyager. Further south, Sri Lanka’s greatest destinations are revealed on a new 15-day Land […]

  • Cruise
  • Luxury
  • News

Seabourn announces Western Kimberley Traditional Owners as Godparents of Seabourn Pursuit

Seabourn has named Western Kimberley Traditional Owners, the Wunambal Gaambera, as Godparents of the ultra-luxury purpose-built Seabourn Pursuit. It is the first cruise line to appoint Traditional Owners as godparents of a ship. Seabourn Pursuit embarks on its inaugural season in the Kimberley region this June. The naming ceremony will take place on Seabourn Pursuit’s […]

  • Luxury

Malolo Island Resort opens brand new Spa

Fiji’s Malolo Island has added another string to its bow – opening its $1.3 million day spa on Thursday, 18th April 2024. (Lead Image: matriarch Rosie Whitton with spa staff) Located at the edge of the resort’s luscious patch of tropical rainforest, the new “Leilani’s Spa” adds another level of elevated experiences to Malolo’s already […]