Dan Carter announced as ambassador for Aussie travel brand TripADeal

New Zealand rugby legend Dan Carter has been sworn in as the face of Australian online travel company TripADeal as it launches into the New Zealand market.

In taking on the role, Carter will play an integral role in spreading awareness of TripADeal in the local market.

Founded in 2011 by friends Norm Black and Richard Johnston, TripADeal has had a meteoric rise in the Australian market and was recently listed as the sixth fastest growing business in the Asia-Pacific region by the London Financial Times.

The company has tapped into Australia's tourism boom, offering a range of tours, cruises and escapes around the world.

"I think New Zealand travellers have a very similar mindset to Australians, we both want to see the world, expand our knowledge and understanding of other cultures, and do it at a price that doesn't break the bank."

Achieving cut-through in a cluttered market already serviced by numerous online travel companies won't be easy – and this is where Carter comes in.

In entering the travel scene, Carter follows in the footsteps of a few notable former ambassadors.

Asked by the Herald if he saw his ambassadorial approach as more akin to the Flight Centre Guy or the Trivago Lady, Carter laughed, saying he probably wouldn't be comparing himself too much to either.

"I think I'll be paving my own way," he said.

Carter is no stranger to the brand endorsement world, having previously also played ambassadorial roles for Daikin, Philips, Land Rover and Healtheries.

"I feel very fortunate to be in the position where I'm able to give companies an avenue to push themselves," Carter says.

The modern sponsorship model does, however, add a level of responsibility to sportspeople over and above their exploits on the field.

"It's often a question people asked of sportspeople: whether they see themselves as role models. And I do see myself as role model and I do believe it's important that you're acting in a way that inspires youth."

Carter's public image has largely been sterling over the years but for a 2017 drink-driving charge in France, which saw him lose his role as an ambassador for Land Rover.

"You have to tell your sponsors and you have to be really transparent," he said, reflecting on the event.

"It was a huge learning curve for me. [But] as long as [you] learn from these mistakes, you can really grow from situations like that."