Europcar Gears Up For NZ Bike Tourism

During April, the number of international visitors to New Zealand is expected to triple,* with many taking to the roads, tracks and mountains to explore what the land of the long white cloud has to offer.

To meet growing demand, Europcar is introducing the first rental cars with bike carriers into the New Zealand market, providing a ready-made solution for cycling tourism which has increased dramatically in recent years.

First trialled in Australia, the fleet of bike-ready SUVs make travelling with bikes easier, and have been welcomed by prominent Kiwi cyclists including members of Avanti Racing Team.

“The popularity of cycling holidays continues to climb, and travel by road or off the beaten track in New Zealand is a fantastic way to see the country, said current New Zealand Road Cycling Champion Joe Cooper of the Avanti Racing Team.

“There are parts of both islands which can only be accessed by exploring on two or four wheels, and in a country known for extreme sport activities, cycling offers a fantastic alternative for enthusiasts or families looking to visit New Zealand,” added Cooper.

Europcar expects to continue to expand its fleet of bike-carrier vehicles on the ground, in addition to its local fleet of hire cars as demand for affordable and customised mobility options only continues to grow.

Europcar Australia Managing Director, Ron Santiago, said New Zealand is emerging as a strong market for cycling holidays.

“Demand for bike-ready vehicles in New Zealand continues to grow, and with our shared passion for cycling, we at Europcar wanted to help realise this for bike enthusiasts in the market.

"Both the North and South Islands will have an equal share of our bike-ready vehicles while we learn more about the locations with the greatest demand."

In July 2014, Europcar became the first car hire company to introduce the Thule ProRide bike carriers in response to the growth of cycle tourism in Australia.

“We found more and more customers were asking us about transporting bikes safely and conveniently in New Zealand, so it made sense to introduce this solution to travelling with bikes,” said Mr Santiago.

“The bike carriers offer more freedom and flexibility. People no longer have to worry about disassembling their bike and fitting it in the back of the car.”

Mr Santiago said Europcar was proud to support cycling in New Zealand, providing customers with efficient and safe travel solutions to meet their evolving needs.

* International Visitor Arrivals to New Zealand: March 2014, http://www.stats.govt.nz/iva


About Europcar
Europcar is one of the leading mobility players in Europe. Present in 145 countries, the group provides customers with one of the largest vehicle rental networks through its own operators, franchisees and partnerships. Europcar operates worldwide its own brands Europcar® and InterRent, which is its low cost brand. The group puts customers at the heart of its mission whether it is innovation or service. All the employees of the group are committed to delivering customer satisfaction. Europcar is actively promoting Corporate and Environmental social responsibility. Europcar has been awarded again in 2013 for the 5th consecutive year, by the World Travel Awards. Europcar is owned by Eurazeo, one of the leading listed investment companies in Europe. In Australia and New Zealand, Europcar is one of the most popular providers of car rental services, operating a large fleet of quality vehicles across a network of more than 123 locations in Australia and 19 locations in New Zealand.

About Avanti Racing
Based in Australia, Avanti Racing is a New Zealand-registered UCI Continental cycling team.
Founded in Tasmania in 2000 by Andrew Christie-Johnston and Steve Price, Avanti Racing sought to provide developmental opportunities for talented local riders.
With riders now located across Australia and New Zealand, Avanti Racing has developed more riders to the UCI World Tour than all Oceania-based teams combined, and has won the Cycling Australian National Road Series a record six times.

About Avanti Racing rider, Joe Cooper
Current New Zealand Road Champion Joe Cooper has been passionate about cycling for as long as he can remember. In 2014 he became the first Kiwi to win the Australian National Road Series, and in 2015 he finished 1st in the New Zealand Road series, completing a clean sweep for Avanti in the event with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishes with his fellow Avanti riders.