Racing for the Louis Vuitton Trophy series got underway this
week in Auckland, bringing the City of Sails to the eyes of
millions of sailing enthusiasts around the world.
As in previous years, Tourism New Zealand is using the event as
a hook to work with international media who are down here to cover
the sailing.
BBC presenter Michael Peschardt of the UK TV show Peschardt's
People is among media being hosted at the event by Tourism New
Zealand.
Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler says hosting
media for events like the Louis Vuitton Trophy gives an opportunity
to showcase New Zealand to international audiences.
Peschardt's People, although an independent production,
is produced for BBC World. The channel attracts over 76 million
viewers each week and is available in over 200 countries and
territories worldwide.
For Tourism New Zealand the show is a great opportunity to
market New Zealand. Research shows that more international frequent
fliers watch BBC World than any other channel.
As part of the one-hour episode, Michael Peschardt interviewed
Grant Dalton. He was also in 18th Man position on Emirates Team New
Zealand on the first day of racing on 9 March.
Michael Peschardt described being 18th man as a "truly
astonishing experience."
"The best technology a man can come up with, combined with the
incredible raw power of the crew. The conditions are cramped, the
tension is high, and yet there's just the gentle buzz of
conversation as each crew member implicitly trusts the other to do
their job," he said.
Tourism New Zealand is sponsoring the Louis Vuitton Trophy Media
Centre, housing all of the media who are covering the two-week
event.
"By working closely with visiting media through the media centre
we're able to provide them with footage and stories that highlight
New Zealand as a destination within their event coverage," says
Kevin Bowler.
The event has attracted over 35 media from around the world,
including The Guardian (circulation 358,900) and The
Independent (circulation 243,398) from the UK, and Nicky Park
of Australian Associated Press, which is circulated to more than
5,000 media outlets throughout Australia.
Read more about how
Tourism New Zealand gets involved in major events