Visits to our world-famous movie set will be revealed to those who seek. Photo / Tourism
Visits to our world-famous movie set will be revealed to those who seek. Photo / Tourism
Mighty local Waikato attractions star in an innovative marketing campaign launched by Tourism New Zealand on Wednesday.
Nicola Greenwell, chief executive, Hamilton and Waikato Tourism. Photo / Stephen Barker
Themed If You Seek, the campaigns are based on the premise that if you are sufficiently curious to dig beneath the surface of the places you visit, you will find richly authentic and rewarding experiences.
One campaign is designed to attract international visitors to New Zealand and the other is a domestic promotion that aims to inspire Kiwis to seek out and explore more of what our country has to offer.
While the actual Waikato attractions to be featured in the campaigns will be revealed to those who seek, I can tell you that to begin with they include abseiling into one of New Zealand's deepest caves, witnessing the magic of sparkling glow worms, and visiting our world-famous movie set.
As the campaigns roll out further Waikato attractions will be featured.
Mighty locals can be very proud the Waikato is being promoted in this way, reinforcing that our region and our iconic and emerging attractions are not only a 'must-do' on international visitors' itineraries but also high on the list for domestic travellers too.
The Waikato attractions in the If You Seek campaign include abseiling into one of New Zealand's deepest caves. Photo / Tourism New Zealand
The international campaign is the first global promotion of destination New Zealand since before the Covid-19 pandemic. It focuses on the key markets that made up 60 per cent of international arrivals pre-Covid, including Australia and the United States of America.
Building on the acclaimed 100% Pure New Zealand positioning of our country over the past two decades, the international campaign aims for cut-through in a global travel market that is highly competitive as the world opens up allowing people to travel once again.
The domestic If You Seek promotion builds on Tourism New Zealand's current winter campaign, the most successful domestic campaign to date.
Image / Hamilton and Waikato Tourism
Tourism New Zealand research shows that about two-thirds of New Zealanders intend to take a domestic holiday in the coming year with 42 per cent motivated to visit a place they have not been to before.
This is additional good news for our Waikato region as some 70 per cent of our visitors are Kiwis.
Through a series of creative visuals, including sensory film, the If You Seek campaigns set out to inspire the seeker that lives in all of us. Some of the experiences featured are well-known while others are not as readily recognised, but are equally compelling.
Tapping into the curiosity of adventurous travellers, the campaigns provide sneak peeks of the experiences that await in Aotearoa.
Also woven in for manuhiri (our guests/visitors) are glimpses of manaakitanga – our hospitality, kindness, generosity, and respect – and tiaki, the care and protection we have for our place.
Based on a range of market insights, the campaigns are designed to reach people who will engage with New Zealand on a deeper level, connecting with our culture and society, interacting with our environment in a respectful way, and providing economic benefit for tourism and related sectors after a tough few years.
The international campaign also includes content to engage and educate travel sellers that are hungry to upskill on New Zealand and are an important part of the global work to attract quality visitors.
The mighty Waikato has plenty for locals and visitors who seek.
• Nicola Greenwell is chief executive of Hamilton & Waikato Tourism
Tourism New Zealand campaign invites the curious
Tourism New Zealand has taken a bold and creative approach to destination advertising with the launch of its first global campaign in two years.
If You Seek takes a different approach to destination marketing by teasing audiences with snippets of what is on offer and inviting the curious, those who will take the time to seek more from their visit.
The new campaign consists of a suite of short films featuring snippets and hints of diverse New Zealand destinations and activities - including some in the Waikato. Image / Supplied
"There is intense competition as destinations ramp up campaigns to capture the imaginations of travellers. Because of our size and location, New Zealand will have to work hard to encourage visitation post-Covid with international visitor numbers taking years to build up and Kiwis now having the option of travelling overseas," says Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy.
A suite of short films makes up the core of the activity, featuring snippets and hints of destinations and activities as diverse as Tāne Mahuta and Hell's Gate in the North Island, to Hooker Valley near Aoraki Mt Cook and Tasman's Great Taste Trail in Nelson Tasman.
"The work includes sneak-peeks of some well-known destinations as well as places and experiences that aren't as recognisable in our key markets. We wanted to tap into the curiosity of our target high–quality traveller, who we know are adventurous and keen to dig beneath the surface of the places they visit whether on the beaten path or not," he says.
"Tourism New Zealand uses a range of insights to create compelling campaign work to reach high-quality visitors. These are visitors who we think will explore more deeply, spend more and ultimately contribute to New Zealand's tourism sector in ways beyond the economic benefit.
"They are travellers who want to engage with our culture and society and also interact with our environment in a respectful way. Our research shows that visitors who see our work spend more and travel more widely around New Zealand."
