Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive, Kevin Bowler,
Inside Tourism column 'Foreign Exchange'
Published in Inside Tourism, issue 858, 10 November
2011
Following the successful hosting of over 70 Australian Society
of Travel Writers, last weekend in Rotorua, the Society of American
Travel Writers (SATW) annual convention has brought some 450 North
American travel writers, PR professionals and associates, and their
partners to New Zealand this November.
This is giving many in the tourism industry an opportunity to
showcase New Zealand holiday experiences to one of our key visitor
markets. Either side of the five-day convention, which is being
hosted in Wellington 7-12 November, the delegates have the
opportunity to experience 27 different tours carefully tailored to
show the fun and accessible nature of New Zealand's
offerings.
Tourism New Zealand and its partners in this event, Positively
Wellington Tourism and Air New Zealand, have provided support to
make it all happen because we see it as a unique opportunity to
gain widespread media coverage in the US and Canada over a
sustained period. By doing what we do best - presenting the vast
range of experiences New Zealand offers, these professionals will
be well supported to spread news and tell stories about New Zealand
through a range of media channels for months to come.
The importance of the US market
The number of North American visitors to New Zealand has declined
recently, due in part to the global financial crisis and, more
recently, the strong Kiwi dollar. Long haul markets like America
hold a massive opportunity for us; we know that 10 per cent of
adult Americans are interested in visiting New Zealand - this
amounts to about 20 million people actively considering New Zealand
for their next overseas trip. Much of Tourism New Zealand's work is
focused on converting this group with a desire to visit New
Zealand, into people who commit to a decision to visit New Zealand
for their next trip.
The media have a significant role to play in supporting our
efforts. Travel writers are well established, networked, and in
many cases influential in helping travelers make their decisions.
Yet it is not enough to simply bring the media here - we need offer
them a rich and personal experience that strikes a chord and
inspires great travel stories.
Sharing New Zealand 100% Pure You
We know from our own experiences with developing our New Zealand
100% Pure You campaign that it is how someone feels about a
destination and the promise of real experiences, that assist
conversion. A well-crafted story of a genuine experience, how
it looked, felt, tasted and sounded can provide others with exactly
the endorsement that they are looking for - and spur them into
action. Travel writers and photographers are ideal carriers
of these messages to readers, listeners and viewers hungry for
quality information. This is why our pre and post-convention tours,
developed in partnerships with the RTOs, will take the delegates
around our country, ensuring they see and experience all we have to
offer. This is also the principle behind newzealand.com. Through
our website, tourism operators are invited to share their own real
stories and experiences connecting their businesses with
prospective visitors.
As you read this, there are hundreds of SATW delegates writing
words, constructing pictures, and deciding what their audiences
would like to know about New Zealand - it's inspiring for us to
know that this country can provide such a rich source of
material.
www.insidetourism.com