Northland attractions pitched to millions around the world

Northland will feature heavily in a new international tourism campaign designed to get more visitors coming to New Zealand that will be seen by millions around the world.

A diverse range of regional New Zealand experiences are showcased in Tourism New Zealand's new global 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, "Where one journey leads to another".

The campaign, launched this week and running for two years, features Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Poor Knights Island Marine Reserve and the Paihia Farmers Market. Other attractions featured in the campaign are Hobbiton, Rotorua's Polynesian Spa, Abel Tasman National Park, Franz Josef Glacier, Haast Blue Pools, Bowen Falls and Kepler Track.

The two-minute video is expected to be seen by millions in countries such as China, Australia, United States, the UK and Europe, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Argentina. Stills will also be used on billboards in some of the countries.

The new campaign uses sophisticated digital marketing to find and prompt people "dreaming" about a New Zealand holiday, into booking a holiday.

It is also the first piece of activity to be delivered from Tourism NZ's new four-year strategy that targets greater dispersal of visitors into more of New Zealand's regions.

The campaign also encourages off peak travel through supporting airline or travel agency partnerships.

Northland Inc's general manager regional promotions and tourism, Paul Davis, welcomed the campaign.

"It is exciting for Northland to be included under the New Zealand campaign umbrella with three of the locations featured being in Northland,'' Mr Davis said.

''The campaign concept using journeys fits exactly with the way we are pitching Northland's visitor proposition, as the way to entice visitors to disperse deeper into Northland's rich range of visitor experiences."

Tourism is worth more than $1.1 billion annually to Northland.

Tourism NZ chief executive Stephen England-Hall said the campaign will be delivered in two parts.

"The first part is the dream content - the sweeping, cinematic style advert that is designed to find people who already dream about a New Zealand holiday. We know this will grab their attention and really build that desire to travel here,'' Mr England-Hall said.

"Once we have found our dreamers, we will re-target them with different content designed to get them planning a holiday and finally, booking it with one of our supporting industry partners. The content we have created shows off the incredible range of experiences New Zealand has to offer, addressing one of the key barriers to travel which is 'what is there to see and do'.

"From diving at Poor Knights Island, one of the world's top dive locations, exploring a glacier on the West Coast and enjoying the beauty of the Kepler Track in Fiordland National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site - the campaign shows that there really is something for everyone in New Zealand."