BOI business backs video to boost area

Charles Parker, general manager of Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Millions of Air New Zealand passengers will see famous faces from the Bay of Islands in the latest Air New Zealand safety video, thanks to investment by a group of local businesses.

Now in its fifth year, the Bay of Islands Marketing Group has contributed more than $1 million in private financing to promote the region including funding the new partnership with Air New Zealand.

The group's key activities this year also included content integration in the latest season of The Bachelor, along with advertising, PR, social and digital campaigns, all contributing to a 7 per cent increase in domestic visitor numbers in the last year, according to Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment's commercial accommodation monitor annual statistics (as of June 2016).

Marking its single biggest investment to date, the group was delighted to be approached by Air New Zealand about filming its world famous safety video in the region, says Charles Parker, chairman of the Bay of Islands Marketing Group.

"We have 14 local businesses in the group and working together has been the key to our continued success over the years. Our reputation has opened many doors for us, including this exciting opportunity with Air New Zealand.

"Our purpose is to attract visitors to our little slice of paradise, to boost the success of local businesses and benefit the whole community. We are proud to share our home with Kiwi travellers and now with Air New Zealand's international market," Mr Parker said.

Independent research commissioned by the group shows that in the past two years the Bay of Islands was ranked second among the top destinations Kiwis want to visit for a long weekend.

The hard work of the group is paying off with the number of domestic visitors to the region well ahead of nationwide increases of 4 per cent, he says.

"It's exciting to see just how busy Paihia is, for example, with fantastic new restaurants, excellent events and buzzing streets with visitors spending with local businesses."

Mr Parker says he expects to see results from the Air New Zealand safety video investment throughout 2017.

"International visitors arriving into New Zealand who don't have firm plans are likely to be the first to respond to the campaign," he said.

"Then the domestic market awareness will be heightened which will result in more visitors throughout, and post the campaign."

The video will be on all domestic and international jet services until the end of April 2017.

Other marketing by the group, made up of businesses from Paihia, Russell, Kerikeri and Hokianga, includes a strong media familiarisation programme, which is driven by the group's public relations agency.

There is a social media programme, a recently relaunched website, visitboi.co.nz, and radio and billboard campaigns in Auckland. Earlier in 2016 the group invested in hosting The Bachelor, with three series filmed in the Bay.

Mr Parker says the group was formed because there was a feeling that awareness of the Bay of Islands brand in the key Auckland market was on the decline and something needed to be done to reverse this.

He says annual investment by the group has fluctuated, but sits about $250,000 per year.

He could not say how much the group's contribution to the Air New Zealand safety video was as the terms of the agreement were confidential.