Artist and phantom to lure NZ tourists

An artist and a phantom are the focus of a new tourism marketing campaign to lure more Kiwis to Brisbane.

Tourism Minister Margaret Keech said Tourism Queensland's New Zealand office had built the campaign to springboard off the city's current Andy Warhol exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and upcoming Phantom of the Opera performances at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).

"Brisbane is a city in summer celebration mode and I can think of no two better ambassadors for the city than American pop artist Andy Warhol and The Phantom of the Opera," Ms Boyle said.

She said the fact that Brisbane's Warhol exhibition was the only one in Australia was a major coup.

"It serves to further position the capital as an exciting and mature destination," she said.

The campaign included bringing newspaper media across the Tasman to review the city and a four month radio campaign.

New Zealand is Brisbane's largest international market, with 14 per cent more tourists coming over the past year.

The Warhol exhibition runs until March 30 and the Phantom of the Opera runs from February 24 to March 5.

- AAP