A Nelson bus company's trips for seniors are going like a rocket with numbers surging to 800 active members.

Leisure Travel, a division of Nelson Coachlines - SBL Group, takes monthly day trips as well as tours.

This month's day trip was so popular it took two dates and four buses to take 185 passengers to Lake Rotoiti. They stopped off at HQ Cafe and Bar in Brightwater then went to the Alpine Lodge for a three-course mid-winter lunch.

Company marketing manager Tom Heaphy said: "In the last eight years numbers have been building but it's really taken off in the last two."

It now has 800 active members on its database and that's growing.

They are all from the Nelson region across to Golden Bay.

He puts the popularity down to the company putting extra effort into planning the trips to always find something new and interesting.

"We want people to have a great time, and we try to keep the costs down."

Most monthly trips are $20 to $25, while the lake trip with the meal was $50.

This year they took two nine-day North Island tours and have a three-day tour planned to the Kenny Rogers and Glen Campbell concert in Christchurch next month. They also take a tour over Christmas which those who don't have family to spend time with like to take, and next year they plan to head to the Ellerslie Flower Show.

"The nice thing is that people make friends and afterwards they go by themselves and meet up and have coffee," said Mr Heaphy.

While traveller numbers were down in the traditional tourist markets, it was a good time to look for growth in other areas, such as the senior trips, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News