TNZ to maximise brand recall with targeted marketing and partnerships
Against the backdrop of a promising tourism recovery for New Zealand, the prevailing global economic challenges necessitate a concerted effort to draw in high-quality visitors. In the face of an intensely competitive market, particularly as a niche destination, Tourism New Zealand’s endeavours must be exceptionally compelling to distinguish New Zealand from other destinations, emphasises Gregg Wafelbakker, General Manager - Asia, Tourism New Zealand.
Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) continues to focus on attracting high-quality visitors who contribute positively to their economy, environment, culture, and communities. India is an important visitor market for New Zealand and one that has shown strong recovery signs in 2023. Between January September 2023, total arrivals from India were 60,267, a 34 per cent increase on the same time period in 2019. They aim to continue to build this momentum by growing the desire for New Zealand and converting this demand into bookings.
“We will continue to leverage advocacy and media partnerships to drive through and elevate New Zealand’s visibility in India. Through our global 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, ‘If You Seek,' we will continue to encourage consumers to form an emotional connection with the country. The campaign highlights the incredible and unique experiences that New Zealand has to offer, placing the consumer at the heart of the experience. The campaign will be leveraged across paid advertising, Tourism New Zealand’s owned channels, public relations activity, and trade education,” informs Gregg.
When it comes to travel trade, Gregg emphasises on continuing to build strong relationships across the tourism industry through trade education and trade partnerships with the aim of converting demand into high-quality arrivals in New Zealand. In its effort to continue converting high-quality visitors in 2024, Tourism New Zealand stresses ensuring that its campaigns, partnerships, and trade initiatives include information that addresses travel barriers for Indian consumers. These include providing information on New Zealand’s health and safety protocols and how to plan a trip and travel to the country. Through these strategic measures, Tourism New Zealand seeks to enhance the overall experience for Indian travellers and facilitate their seamless exploration of the destination.
Standing Out Amidst Intense Competition
While Tourism New Zealand’s consumer marketing efforts are mainly focused in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, through their trade marketing initiatives, they have ventured into newer markets like Pune, Jaipur, Udaipur, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Ajmer, Kanpur, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, and Aurangabad. In the trade education space, they are hoping to leverage massive growth opportunities shown by markets like Kochi, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad.
India is one of the fastest-growing economies globally, and there is intense competition in the tourism space to vie for an Indian consumer’s attention. Speaking about competition from other destinations, Greg mentions, “We are also confident that, with high appeal and preference for New Zealand among our audience in India, New Zealand will continue to stand out to Indian consumers, thanks to the incredible and unique experiences that the destination has to offer. Our consumer research suggests that Indian travellers are interested in covering a wide range of experiences on a holiday that encompasses food and wine, culture, scenic attractions, adventure, nature, and wildlife, and New Zealand delivers well in this space.”
Exploring the Rise of Sustainable Travel
In discussing the anticipated trends that are poised to shape the tourism landscape in 2024, Gregg emphasises the need for proactive adaptation within the industry. He says, “There is a growing consciousness among travellers about the environmental impact of their travel footprint. Sustainable and eco-friendly tourism practices are likely to gain prominence, with travellers seeking destinations and experiences that prioritise environmental conservation and responsible tourism. This also ties into travellers increasingly seeking unique and immersive experiences over traditional sightseeing. The demand for hands-on, culturally enriching activities and authentic interactions with local communities is likely to continue growing. Since sustainability is on the minds of industry and consumers, Tourism New Zealand will continue to work with industry to help consumers find and choose more sustainable experiences.”
“The focus on health and wellness has also gained prominence. Travellers are expected to prioritise destinations that offer wellness activities and outdoor experiences that promote physical and mental well-being,” adds Gregg.
2024 Performance Goals
In 2024, Tourism New Zealand's primary key performance indicators revolve around achieving a notable uptick in visitation numbers and bolstering brand health metrics. “Our goal is to build topof-mind recall, preference, and overall demand for New Zealand through targeted marketing initiatives and impactful partnerships,” asserts Gregg.