Award Winning New Zealand

New Zealand remains one of the most popular destinations in the world among travellers from our target market. This is reflected in the number of awards Destination New Zealand has won over the last few years.

We also continue to be recognised on the international stage for our ground-breaking tourism marketing campaigns, and our industry's commitment to responsible tourism.

See the listings below for some of our award winning highlights. Search this website to find out more about any of the awards below.

2013



May - New Zealand has won the award for Best Destination for Adventure (International) at the Lonely Planet Magazine India travel awards, for the second year running.

February - New Zealand has again achieved a Bronze Award in the Top Country category of the Wanderlust Travel Awards for 2012. It is the fourth year running that New Zealand has taken the bronze award in the Top Country category. In the 12 year history of the awards, New Zealand has consistently rated in the top three.

January - New Zealand has been named the 'World's Best Luxury Destination' for affluent Chinese travellers, by the Shanghai Travelers' Club in its 2013 Luxury Travel Awards.

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    • 2012 open

      • December - 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign won the award for 'World's Leading Destination Marketing Campaign' in the World Travel Awards 2012 Grand Final.
      • November - New Zealand was awarded the 'Favourite Emerging Destination - Overseas' at the Condé Nast Traveller Reader' Travel Awards in India. 
      • November - New Zealand voted 'Favourite Country - Worldwide' at the Telegraph Travel Awards.
      • October - Tourism New Zealand is voted Australasia's Leading Tourist Board in the 2012 World Travel Awards for the third year running.
      • September - Tourism New Zealand took out two Silver SABRE awards and a Certificate of Excellence for the Aquabumps and Masterchef Destination PR campaigns at the prestigious 2012 EMEA Sabre Awards in Australia.
      • May - Tourism New Zealand landed awards for the most innovative social media campaign and as the best destinational marketing organisation at the TravelMole and EyeforTravel Innovation Awards in Singapore.
      • May - New Zealand has won the award for Best Destination for Adventure (International) at the Lonely Planet Magazines India travel awards.
      • February - Tourism New Zealand's Rugby World Cup 2011 campaign received the Grand Award - Marketing at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Grand and Gold Awards.
      • February - New Zealand has again achieved a Bronze Award in the Top Country category of the Wanderlust Travel Awards for 2012.
      • January - Shanghai Morning Post has recognised New Zealand as the Best Destination for Discovery and Exploration, in recognition of New Zealand as a premium outdoors destination.
      • January - Queenstown has been voted the Purest Destination by Elite Traveller, a high-end travel magazine in China which is jointly run by Ctrip.com, China's most frequently used booking website.

       

    • 2011 open

      • December - Tourism New Zealand won the NTO category of Shanghai Oriental Morning Post's Extraordinary Trip award.
      • November - New Zealand was voted the top global eco-tourism destination at the Viagens e Turismo tourism awards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
      • November - The seventh annual FutureBrand Country Brand Index (CBI), ranked New Zealand as the third strongest country brand in the world, just behind Canada and Switzerland.
      • October - UK Telegraph readers name New Zealand as their second favorite worldwide destination at the Telegraph Travel Awards.
      • September - Tourism New Zealand was voted Australasia's Leading Tourist Board in the 2011 World Travel Awards for a second year in a row.
      • June - New Zealand receives the Best Destination for Ecotourism at the World Traveller Awards 2011.
      • February - Readers of the UK's Wanderlust magazine again voted New Zealand their third most satisfying holiday destination.
      • January - New Zealand was named the second best place to be in 2011 by global broadcasting network CNN.

    • 2010 open

      • October - Tourism New Zealand's 'Experience New Zealand, Right Now' campaign picked up a Bronze Award in the Product/Service Launch category of the China Effie Awards
      • October - Tourism New Zealand was named 'Australasia's Leading Tourist Board' at the World Travel Awards Asia and Australiasia ceremony on 14 October.
      • October - In the recent Danish Travel Awards, organised by Danish travel trade magazine Stand By, New Zealand won the 'Best Tourism Country Outside Europe' category.
      • October - Tourism New Zealand's 10 Years Young microsite, celebrating the 10 year anniversary of 100% Pure New Zealand, won bronze for New Zealand's best interactive design at the 2010 Best Awards.
      • September - British Lonely Planet readers voted New Zealand as their top place they'd 'happily stay for ever in...' in the inaugural Lonely Planet Awards.
      • September - New Zealand was among the top-five favourite holiday destinations of Condé Nast Traveller (UK) readers, in the Readers' Travel Awards 2010. New Zealand came in fifth after Turkey, Egypt, Australia and Italy.
      • August - Tourism New Zealand's 'Your Big Break' campaign won the Grand Award for Marketing at the 2010 PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Gold Awards.
      • June - A Roy Morgan Research survey of the Australian tourism industry showed respondents believed New Zealand's '100% Pure New Zealand' campaign was the most successful tourism marketing campaign of 2009/10.
      • April - Two Tourism New Zealand projects were recognised as Official Honorees in the 2010 Webby Awards. The projects acknowledged were: The Gap Year: Challenge New Zealand, an online reality television project rolled out through social media in conjunction with UK production company Endemol, and Tourism New Zealand's 10YearsYoung microsite.
      • February - Readers of the UK's Wanderlust magazine voted New Zealand their third most satisfying holiday destination.
      • January - Users of China's www.ctrip.com travel website and readers of Elite Traveller magazine voted Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown as their fourth favourite overseas destination.

    • 2009 open

      • October - New Zealand was picked by the authors, staff and travellers of Lonely Planet's prestigious Best in Travel as one of the Top 10 Countries to visit in 2010.
      • October - Readers of Britain's Guardian and Observer newspapers, and website www.guardian.co.uk, voted New Zealand their favourite long-haul destination in the annual Readers' Travel Awards.
      • September - National tourism organisations from around the world voted New Zealand 'best at destination branding' in a survey published by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and European Travel Commission.
      • September - New Zealand was named second after Italy in Condé Nast Traveller (UK) readers' awards 'Best Destination' category. Air New Zealand won 'Best Long-haul Airline' and Blanket Bay was named 'Best Leisure Hotel - Australasia'.
      • July - Tourism New Zealand's advertising was rated as the world's third best travel campaign by www.forbes.com.

    • 2008 open

      • November - New Zealand won the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards, being named 'Overall Winner' as well as 'Best Destination'. The awards recognise destinations and organisations that are making positive contributions to cultures, economies and the environment through tourism.
      • November - New Zealand voted 'Best Destination' in the Telegraph Travel Awards in the UK.
      • November - New Zealand voted 'Golf Destination of the Year 2009' for the Asia and Australasia region at the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.
      • October - New Zealand was back in top spot in the Guardian/Observer/www.guardian.co.uk Reader's Travel Awards, winning favourite long-haul destination.
      • October - Tourism New Zealand's inflatable Rugby Ball Venue received a Gold Award in the Design Institute of New Zealand's BeST Design Awards.
      • September - Readers of Condé Nast Traveller (UK) voted New Zealand their favourite destination in the 2008 Reader's Travel Awards, making 2008 the fifth consecutive year New Zealand has ranked in the top five favourite countries.
      • September - New Zealand named 'Country of the Year' by Australia's Getaway travel show.
      • July - Tourism New Zealand won the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for 'Marketing Media - Public Relations' for the giant Rugby Ball project during the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
      • July - Tourism New Zealand won the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for 'Marketing - Primary Government Destination' for the 'Youngest Country' 100% Pure New Zealand international marketing campaign.
      • July - New Zealand was voted fifth favourite destination by Lonely Planet readers in the Travellers' Pulse Awards 2008, up from ninth place in 2007.
      • June - New Zealand was voted 'Best Worldwide Country' in the 2008 Sunday Times Travel Magazine Reader Awards (UK).
      • April - Milford Sound and Queenstown were voted the top two favourite destinations in the world by members of www.TripAdvisor.com, the world's largest online travel community.
      • March - Walk magazine readers voted New Zealand 'Best Walking Place Overseas' in the 2008 Walk Readers' Awards. Walk is the UK's largest circulating walking magazine and reaches 140,000 active walkers and outdoors enthusiasts.
      • March - Members of the British online outdoors community www.OutdoorsMagic.com named New Zealand 'Best International Destination' in the Outdoors Magic Awards 2007/08.
      • February - New Zealand voted top country (again) by the readers of UK-based travel publication Wanderlust. 2008 was the second year running that New Zealand won this award.

    • 2007 open

      • December - According to the 2007 Country Brand Index (CIB), New Zealand was placed number eight among the world's top country brands, beating Greece and Japan at ninth and tenth position.
      • December - 30,000 UK Daily Telegraph readers voted New Zealand their favourite destination in the world.
      • New Zealand voted number two destination in the world in the Lonely Planet Blue List publication.

    • 2006 open

      • Tourism New Zealand's consumer travel website, www.newzealand.com won best tourism website for the second time at the global Webby awards.
      • New Zealand received the 'Bronze Award' in the Top Country category at the Wanderlust Magazine awards (UK), and was also named 'Safest Destination', for the fifth year in a row.
      • Tourism New Zealand won PATA Gold Awards for the marketing campaign 'Make Yourself 100% At Home' around the Lions rugby tour of 2005.
      • Country Brands Index - New Zealand ranked first in a worldwide survey, for its natural beauty and outdoor activities.
      • 2006 British Travel Awards - New Zealand voted 'dream destination'.

    • 2005 open

      • Daily Telegraph (UK) readers' travel awards - New Zealand voted Best Destination.
      • CondeNast Traveller (UK) readers' travel awards - New Zealand voted Best Country and best overall winner.
      • New Zealand voted best Adventure Destination in the world by the Irish travel industry.
      • New Zealand voted in top five tourism destinations in the world by the readers of Lonely Planet.
      • Tourism New Zealand's consumer travel website www.newzealand.com won best tourism website at the international Webby awards.

    • 2004 open

      • Washington Post voted New Zealand at number eight in its list of top ten international destinations that are hot for 2004.
      • Lonely Planet staffers named New Zealand the hot destination for 2004 - for the second year in a row.
      • The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International awarded Tourism New Zealand gold awards for the Royal Tour documentary, and for the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign. The campaign also won the overall platinum award.
      • Tourism New Zealand's 100% Pure New Zealand campaign won the 2004 PATA Grand Award. The consumer travel website www.newzealand.com and Tourism New Zealand posters won Gold Awards.
      • The Chelsea Flower Show Tourism New Zealand garden - '100% Pure New Zealand Ora - Garden of Well-being' - won the Gold Medal in the Show Garden category.
      • Readers of the Guardian/Observer newspapers voted New Zealand best long-haul destination in their annual travel awards.
      • Tourism New Zealand's travel website www.newzealand.com won two of the top awards at the TUANZ (e)-vision awards. Haka module won the 'Event marketing/integrated marketing campaign' award. The interactive map won the 'Information/Reference' category.
      • New Zealand voted Best Destination at the Telegraph Awards UK. 26,000 readers voted on their travel experiences - and NZ came out on top.

    • 2003 open

      • Wanderlust magazine voted New Zealand 'top destination' and 'safest destination' for the third year in a row.
      • New Zealand was named runner-up for 'country on the up' in this year's Sunday Times' Travel Magazine (UK) Awards - after Croatia (first) and Australia (third).
      • The travel website www.newzealand.com won best travel and tourism site in NetGuide's 2003 awards

    • 2001 open

      • New Zealand's 100% Pure campaign beat 600 other entries to win gold at the Fédération Nationale des Offices de Tourisme et Syndicats d'Initiative (F.N.O.T.S.I) awards in Cholet, France.
      • Tourism New Zealand received a Gold Quill Award for the strategy development and implementation of the 100% Pure New Zealand Campaign.