NZ Travel Reporter of the Year Lorna Thornber investigates,
It’s been a year since Tourism New Zealand made a hard pivot to focus on domestic tourism as Covid ground international travel to a halt. But did the campaign work, and can it carry on? 2021 NZ Travel Reporter of the Year Lorna Thornber reports.
Nikki Horne isn’t sure when she would have got around to travelling New Zealand by campervan if it hadn’t been for the pandemic.
She and husband Chris had talked about it for a long time, but it wasn’t until borders closed and Tourism Holdings Ltd dropped campervan rental prices by as much as 70 per cent in a last-ditch effort to save itself that they went ahead and booked.
‘‘As we were unable to explore overseas, we thought we would take the opportunity to see a part of New Zealand a lot of our group had not seen, via a different means of travelling,’’ the Auckland mother-of-two says.
Along with two other families, they set out for the East Cape, visiting a marae that had held special significance for a recently departed relative, before continuing along the Pacific Coast Highway, widely considered to be one of New Zealand’s most scenic road trips. They stayed in a ‘‘random little campsite’’ beside a deserted, driftwood-strewn beach in Te Kaha; floated handmade wreaths out to sea to commemorate their lost loved one; ate icecreams from the dairy that made its film debut in Taika Waititi’s Boy; and walked along the southern hemisphere’s longest wharf before having a laugh with locals at the historic Tolaga Bay Inn.
‘‘We loved the ruggedness of the East Cape,’’ Horne says. ‘‘It was like walking back in time. It was far more untouched than I thought it would be, with masses of wild horses running free and beautiful coastlines, rivers and foliage.’’
While ‘‘not as warm’’ as most of their overseas breaks, the trip left them more excited about domestic travel than they had ever been. So much so that they’re doing another campervan trip in a couple of months, this time to the South Island.
‘‘It definitely made us rethink whether we need to head overseas every time we travel when we have such beauty within easy reach.’’
The Hornes are among many New Zealanders to have gained a renewed appreciation for domestic travel since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. Pre-pandemic, Kiwis spent $9 billion a year on overseas holidays and when we did travel within New Zealand, most of us went somewhere we had been before.
A Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) survey conducted shortly after borders closed found that on domestic breaks, more than 60 per cent of New Zealanders returned to a familiar place. Other research has found that Kiwis tended to spend less money on holidays in their homeland than they did overseas.
‘‘I was the most guilty one,’’ says TNZ general manager for domestic tourism Bjoern Spreitzer, with surprising candour for a man whose main campaign urges New Zealanders to ‘‘do something new’’.
‘‘I live in Titirangi in Auckland and, for Christmas, I used to go to Piha [about 25km down the road] for two weeks, every single time.’’
Tasked with encouraging New Zealanders to explore their country after international tourists left a multibillion-dollar hole in the economy, Spreitzer and his team knew they had to break down these habitual patterns. To turn us into the inspired, adventurous travellers we were renowned for being overseas, but somehow weren’t here.
In some ways it was a tough sell. We knew we had a beautiful backyard, but it was our backyard. Was it any wonder so many of us thought of overseas holidays as more exciting?
That said, the vast majority (84 per cent) of respondents to the survey said there was somewhere in New Zealand they’d never been to before but would like to visit – and that was the statistic seized upon.
Launched just after the nationwide lockdown, TNZ’s ‘‘Do something new, New Zealand’’ campaign aimed to do what it said on the tin. It enlisted local celebrities such as TV presenter Toni Street, cricketer
‘‘I was the most guilty one. I live in Titirangi in Auckland and, for Christmas, I used to go to Piha for two weeks, every single time.’’
Bjoern Spreitzer
TNZ general manager for domestic tourism
Martin Guptill, America’s Cup skipper Peter Burling and comedians Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek along with socalled ordinary New Zealanders to share their travel aspirations and adventures in videos shared to social media. The aim, it seemed, was to convince us that real Kiwis were having a really good time in the country. That Aotearoa is full of genuinely awesome experiences no proud Kiwi would want to miss out on.
It is interesting that TNZ’s 100% Pure New Zealand campaign has taken a back seat, now its focus is on domestic tourism. The cynical might think this is because the board is worried the more-than-20-year-old campaign wouldn’t work as well on New Zealanders. That we’re well aware we don’t live in an untouched earthly paradise. Spreitzer, however, says the 100% Pure messaging ‘‘underpins’’ the ‘‘Do Something New’’ campaign: it’s just not the main focus.
Enterprise Dunedin, the destination marketing arm of Dunedin City Council, has taken a very different tack to the 100% Pure campaign, selling the city as ‘‘a pretty good Plan D’’.
Marketing manager Malcolm Anderson said the aim was to capture the attention of those who would have holidayed overseas if borders hadn’t closed – and convince them there was more to Dunedin than they might think. Generally speaking, New Zealanders don’t take kindly to boasters, but Anderson decided a few humble brags wouldn’t hurt – if they were delivered in the right self-deprecating tone.
‘‘Sure we weren’t your first choice of holiday, but we are a pretty good plan D,’’ Anderson said. ‘‘If you had a surf trip to Bali planned, come here instead – just bring a wetsuit. Postponed that safari? Check out our sea lions. Missing out on Europe? We’re the closest thing you have to Edinburgh. It tapped into our sense of humour through slightly tongue-in-cheek copy.’’
Regions and operators throughout the country have spent a lot of time and money trying to challenge Kiwis’ preconceptions. Queenstown, well known for its skiing, has struggled to promote itself as a year-round destination.
Destination Queenstown marketing and communications director Sarah O’Donnell said the tourist town had ‘‘four distinct and amazing seasons’’.
‘‘New Zealanders know our winter offering incredibly well and are loyal ski and winter enthusiasts. We hope we can encourage them to come visit in spring, summer and autumn as well.’’
Max Lloyd, who handles sales and marketing for new Northland attraction Manea: Footprints of Kupe, said it’s harder selling Ma¯ ori cultural attractions to Kiwis than overseas visitors. Many, he said, think they’re all basically ‘‘a kapa haka performance and a hangi’’.
‘‘Kiwis either think they know their culture or find a cultural experience confronting. Instead of embracing and taking part they tend to shy away.’’
Like many operators, Manea – which tells the story of the great Polynesian navigator Kupe through live performance, film, artwork and digital stations – has offered discounts to entice more Kiwis through its doors.
‘‘Kiwis are reluctant to spend on tourism activities, and they want to know they are getting value for money, which is fair enough,’’ Lloyd said. ‘‘With a new experience that has been a challenge, as Kiwis are not quite sure what they are spending their money on. We find people’s attitudes around pricing change after the experience.’’
West Coast destination development manager Patrick Dault said most operators in the region have slashed prices ‘‘to the bare minimum’’ so they can keep people employed, but this isn’t sustainable longterm.
While the West Coast recorded an increase in domestic visitor spend in the year to March 2021, the total tourism spend dropped 25 per cent to $46 million. Kiwis tend to spend less time and money in the region, he said, and are less likely than overseas tourists to visit more remote areas.
‘‘South Westland has long been associated with international visitors, and it simply hasn’t made it to the top of the bucket list for Kiwis, largely due to the distance from main centres. It is unfortunate, especially considering the landing sites on the glaciers are the best they have ever been, the prices are sharp, and there are no crowds.’’
By and large, however, Kiwis have embraced domestic travel since the nationwide lockdown ended. According to Tourism Industry Aotearoa’s latest Domestic Satisfaction Report, three in every four Kiwis travelled domestically for a holiday or short break in the year to March 2021. On average, survey respondents rated their overall experience 8.7 out of 10.
TNZ’s campaign has undoubtedly played a big part, aided by the efforts of regional tourism boards, tourism operators and media outlets.
TIA chief executive Chris Roberts said the campaign had made New Zealanders realise what they had here, and interest was expected to continue after the borders reopened.
In heeding calls to explore their backyard, many Kiwis, the Hornes included, have decided domestic holidays can be just as good as, if not better than, overseas jaunts.
Said Lloyd: ‘‘I do believe Kiwis’ attitudes towards holidaying in New Zealand are changing . . . I feel we are either finding or strengthening our roots through connecting with people and places. And we’re [realising we don’t have] to go overseas for a sense of adventure.’’
Lisa Boltman, of Christchurch, said it would have been unlikely for her family to have gone on a campervan holiday had it not been for Covid, and slashed rental rates, ‘‘which now looking back seems a bit crazy’’.
Their South Island adventure took in a Fox Glacier helicopter trip (‘‘an amazing deal’’), jet boating and the luge in Queenstown. Lisa said the trip, which she took with husband Ross and their three boys, changed her perception of travelling closer to home.
‘‘I think it reminded us how important it is to help the kids to connect with and experience more of New Zealand, rather than always thinking about heading to other countries and cultures.’’