Tourism New Zealand and National Geographic have introduced a new global tourism campaign featuring some of Bay of Plenty’s finest attractions.
Whakatane’s Mataatua Marae and Rotorua’s Te Puia feature alongside the Abel Tasman National Park in the campaign video showing the hospitable nature or manaakitanga of New Zealanders, reinforcing themes of respect, empathy and connection.
This is the second time Tourism New Zealand have collaborated with National Geographic, aiming to create an international content and distribution plan that will gain interest from National Geographic’s channels and platforms, as well as global media and trade partners.
Tourism Bay of Plenty chief executive Kristin Dunne says she is pleased National Geographic influencers are able to expose the region to the rest of the world.
“Opportunities like this show the Bay is in a strong position nationally, and such a growing reputation can only mean positive things for the region in the future.
“With National Geographic’s social media channels spanning more than 315 million fans/followers across Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat, Twitter and YouTube globally, this is a chance for us to connect with new audiences and showcase what we unashamedly believe to be one of the best places in the world.
“Plus, this validates that we have locals who are authentic and make visitors feel at home by demonstrating the spirit of manaakitanga.”
The purpose of the campaign is to highlight New Zealand’s hospitable culture to valuable visitor markets including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.
These large global markets contributed $5.3 billion of spending in New Zealand last year. This year’s campaign is set to target visitors from Brazil, Canada and India.
Kristen says social media has played a vital role in the success of tourism as consumers use online platforms to plan overseas trips.
“We often hear visitors saying one of the best parts of their visit is engaging with local people and the warm sense of welcome they receive makes their visit very memorable.
“If we can help develop a global story through social media that activates people’s curiosity to travel to New Zealand, and our spectacular region, then it will only strengthen the Bay of Plenty’s unique year-round tourism appeal.
“Doing so can help reduce the impacts of seasonal visiting on the region to make the tourism industry more sustainable, so that local businesses can recruit more staff and retain them year-round due to a steady flow of visitors.”
Source: SunLive.co.nz
