A major promotional campaign in Japan is raising awareness of
what New Zealand has to offer as a holiday destination.
Full page editorial-style advertisements in Japan's leading
newspaper, Asahi, are showcasing New Zealand's autumn colours,
activities and food and wine experiences to an audience of eight
million readers.
Arrivals from Japan have been hard hit by the economic downturn
and last year's Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak, but Tourism New
Zealand Regional Manager Japan Jason Hill says he is confident the
market has bottomed out.
"Feedback from the industry suggests arrivals for January are
showing signs of growth, giving us a good start to 2010, and this
promotion will hopefully push out numbers into the autumn shoulder
season," he says.
The campaign launched on Sunday 14 February and will see a total
of six advertising placements in Asahi over four weeks. It aims to
highlight New Zealand's distinct seasons, and connect readers with
product offers from travel trade partners.
"We need to tell consumers exactly what they can do in New
Zealand, such as enjoying food and wine, horse riding, kayaking and
walking," says Jason Hill.
"We've had success with this type of tactical advertising in the
past, as it raises awareness, changes perceptions and pushes
consumers to book through trade partners - all at the same
time."
The advertisements feature comments from Beverly Maeda, a
Japanese actress and media personality who has visited New Zealand
twice through Tourism New Zealand's Opinion Leaders' programme.
Advertising is being run in conjunction with a number of trade
partners including Air New Zealand, JTB (Japan's largest travel
agency) and Hankyu.
Despite lagging visitor numbers, Japan remains a high yield
market with both average length of stay and average spend per
person increasing over the past year.