Central North Island tourism marketing organisations partner to entice Kiwis

A collective of six regions in Aotearoa New Zealand’s central North Island have banded together to entice New Zealand travellers to visit. The new campaign ‘Get Out More NZ’ has launched to showcase the big adventures that can be had within a short travelling distance, with a humorous twist.

“The campaign pokes fun at some of the family lockdown experiences that we all shared and encourages Kiwis to ‘Get Out More’ now that we can travel safely again,” said central North Island spokesperson Jason Dawson.

“We’ve got grandads knitting, kids driving parents crazy and bored couples stuck inside watching the same television shows – experiences that our target markets can relate to. The campaign offers an alternative adventure to these markets by showcasing the unique experiences on offer in our regions.”

The Coastal Bay of Plenty, Hamilton & Waikato, Rotorua, Ruapehu, Tairāwhiti Gisborne and Taupō are inviting Kiwis to take a road trip through the diverse landscapes in the central North Island.

With New Zealand’s borders closed, the only lifeforce for New Zealand’s tourism industry is the domestic market. In a country of just five million people with 32 regional tourism organisations, competition between tourism marketing entities is fierce.

Prior to COVID-19, these regions worked together for more than a decade on international marketing projects as part of the wider Explore Central North Island alliance. While the rest of the country’s regional tourism organisations vie for a share of a relatively small potential travel market, this collective decided to take a different approach and work together. In the wake of COVID-19, this shift in strategy is “what we call in the tourism industry a ‘pivot to the domestic market’,” said Dawson.

The campaign will run until Christmas and will appear across Google advertising, Facebook, and print advertising. The campaign is targeting retirees, young families, and couples in the North Island. It offers an extensive collection of ready-made itineraries on the newly built website www.getoutmorenz.com. “It’s a compelling tool for travellers seeking ideas for a short break away or even a roadie. Users can either coordinate their travel themselves or seek help to book through the regions’ i-SITEs,” explained Dawson.

The international marketing alliance was established to promote the central North Island to international markets under the now popular touring routes ‘Pacific Coast Highway’, ‘Thermal Explorer Highway’ and ‘Volcanic Loop’.

“As regions, our approach to collaborative solutions and cohesive marketing hasn’t changed – we are just talking to a difference audience. So much of the tourism landscape has been altered and our organisations have certainly had to swiftly shift focus to try and keep our industry going,” said Dawson.

This story is part of TIA's #TourismChampions campaign. View more inspirational stories here.