NZ Tourism targets Indian honeymooners

New Zealand Tourism has launched a major campaign in India encouraging honeymooners to 'Discover 100 per cent Pure Romance'.

In a joint venture campaign with Singapore Airlines, Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) had rolled out print, radio and online advertisements across India targeting the honeymoon market.

Honeymoon was a growing sector of travel outbound from India, said Mischa Mannix-Opie, TNZ South and South-East Asia regional manager.

New Zealand was a key destination for Indian honeymooners as it offered a more temperate climate for the honeymoon season while Europe was getting cooler as it headed into winter, she said.

"Ultimately the aim with our programme of activity is to deepen Indian consumers' understanding of how New Zealand can deliver the ultimate honeymoon or couples holiday.

"By increasing their awareness and preference of New Zealand it is our intention to create a stronger result in our campaign activity."

Indian honeymooners typically travelled in November following the Diwali Festival.

"Honeymoon visitors from India have continued to grow arrivals during November and December," said Mannix-Opie.

Research showed that 56 per cent of Indian visitors aged between 25-34 years came to New Zealand for a honeymoon, she said.

Indian holiday arrivals aged 25-34 years represented 30 per cent of the Indian holiday market, which accounted for 14,080 arrivals in the 12 months to July 2012.

Indian visitor arrivals to New Zealand contributed about $74 million last year.

The 100 per cent Pure Romance campaign did not include activity or accommodation packages but drove consumers to newzealand.com, which provideed information about honeymoon-specific experiences and connected them with operators and travel sellers.

The campaign targeted specific locations in India, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

A media function was held in New Delhi and Mumbai last week aimed at deepening the Indian media's understanding of New Zealand honeymoon experiences.

Representatives from key Indian travel companies met with New Zealand tourism in the four-day event.

According to the TNZ, India had been highlighted as a key market because "high disposable incomes and a willingness to spend on luxury brands and big-ticket items like holidays, as well as an increasingly global mindset, are driving outbound travel from this market".

Figures for the year ended June 2012 showed a total of 29,648 visitors arrived in New Zealand from India, a 1.1 per cent increase on the previous year.

This compared to 23,328 Indian visitors in 2008.

The honeymoon campaign came on the heels of another launched by Tourism New Zealand last week called 'Experience 100 per cent Pure New Zealand luxury', targeting high-end travellers from Singapore.