“These figures are extremely significant for New Zealand as a destination, we have reached an enormous group of 2.5 billion potential high-quality visitors. This level of exposure is usually unattainable for Tourism New Zealand with our advertising budget,” says Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy.

The content showcased(opens in new window) the most beautiful game of football the world has ever seen. A full-sized temporary football pitch was sustainably constructed to host a local schoolgirls’ football match, refereed by Lindsey Robinson, set amongst the awe-inspiring backdrop of Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

The coverage generated over 700 media articles and achieved 35:1 return on investment.

“Tourism is one of New Zealand’s biggest export earners and will be a significant contributor as we face tough global economic conditions. It was fantastic to be able to leverage an event on this scale and build desire for destination New Zealand to encourage more high-quality visitor arrivals,” concludes Mr de Monchy.

New Zealand and Australia were co-hosts of the event from 20 July to 20 August 2023.