TNZ bids to tempt tourists in spring

By SIMON HENDERY tourism writer

Tourism New Zealand is running a campaign in one of our biggest visitor markets to lure travellers here at quieter times of the year.

The Government marketing agency is using newspapers in Britain - our second largest tourist market - to promote travel here during the quieter spring season.

Through its international media programme, TNZ hosted the Independent on Sunday's editor-at-large, Janet Street-Porter, on a three-week visit last October and November.

In a feature about her trip, published late last month, Street-Porter wrote of New Zealand in spring: "You'll get warm weather, lower prices, fewer tourists and more availability."

In recent weeks the Sunday Times and the Guardian have also run articles on New Zealand as a spring destination following sponsored visits here by journalists.

Last weekend TNZ paid for 240,000 copies of the Rough Guide to New Zealand in Spring to be inserted into the Independent on Sunday.

TNZ's promotion through the paper concludes this weekend with a contest to win a trip to New Zealand.

TNZ chief executive George Hickton said now was the time of year when Britons typically booked holidays for October and November.

"What we are trying to do is broaden the length of time that the average UK tourist will consider travelling to New Zealand," he said.

"If we can add in the October and November period, and even back to September, we'll start to provide better returns for New Zealand operators."

British visitor numbers rose 12 per cent last year, and 6 per cent in 2001.

New Zealand's profile was boosted in Britain last month through a joint Air New Zealand/TNZ poster campaign at London underground stations and a week-long series of items on ITV breakfast television. A film crew visited Auckland, Martinborough, Wellington and Queenstown last October as part of TNZ's international programme.