New Zealand gears up for the rebound
Photo by Lukasz Larsson Warzecha
At 11:59 p.m. on May 1, New Zealand will reopen to international travellers — including Canadians — without needing to self-isolate on arrival for the first time since 2020. Although visitors will be required to provide a negative pre-departure test, it’s now significantly easier for clients to travel to the destination.
To find out more about what awaits travellers, Travel Courier caught up with Sarah Handley, General Manager Americas & Europe of Tourism New Zealand.
May 1 is the big day. How does it feel to be on the cusp of welcoming back international travellers and what goals does Tourism New Zealand have for recovery?
Photo by Daniel Rood
The New Zealand border closed in March 2020, like many other countries, to help stop the spread of COVID-19. After over two years, we are very excited to be welcoming back international travellers to New Zealand. Visitors from Canada can come and enjoy all NZ has to offer from May 2.
At Tourism New Zealand we are proud to be actively supporting the country’s economic recovery and the tourism industry’s restart and recovery. This activity has been focused on encouraging domestic tourism (which Tourism New Zealand hadn’t been responsible for prior to COVID-19) and keeping brand New Zealand top of mind internationally. Tourism New Zealand’s domestic marketing activity, combined with the work from our Regional Tourism Organizations and wider industry has had measurable impact by boosting spend across the country. Over three-quarters of New Zealanders saw our domestic marketing work, and more than half have experienced a new tourism activity or visited a new place this year.
Moving forward, we will be ramping up our conversion activity, working with key partners such as airlines and the travel trade to help drive arrivals to New Zealand. New Zealand and the wider industry are excited to welcome back international visitors.
Are there any new marketing strategies you want to share some insights about?
Photo by Lukasz Larsson Warzecha
Tourism New Zealand has continued to work to maintain New Zealand’s brand in key international markets, in addition to the domestic campaign activity which started in 2020.
In June 2020 Tourism New Zealand launched a campaign titled Messages From New Zealand. The series of films showcasing New Zealand’s values of kaitiakitanga (care for the land), manaakitanga (hospitality), integrity, and ingenuity was produced in partnership between Tourism New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Ministry for Primary Industries, Education New Zealand, and New Zealand Story. The goal of the campaign was to showcase New Zealand as a great place to live, study in, buy products from, invest in, and visit again when the time is right.
The campaign was released across a multi-channel advertising encompassing Tourism New Zealand’s social platform, digital channels, and free to air television, featuring a cross-section of celebrities and everyday New Zealanders, as they share messages of hope and care with their international whānau (family).
In 2022, we will be releasing a new international marketing campaign and we’re excited to share more about this soon.
Many of our readers are travel advisors. What should they know about the destination?
Photo by Mark Clinton
While the New Zealand border was closed to international visitors, we shifted our focus from conversion activities with partners to encouraging them to discover more about New Zealand as a destination. An important initiative involved building tools that all travel sellers could use to inspire their clients to choose New Zealand when the time is right. Last Fall we launched the New Zealand Marketing Hub, providing our travel advisors and tour operator partners with B2C marketing content, including articles, images, videos, social posts, email templates, and banner ads. The Marketing Hub makes it easy for our partners to promote New Zealand and prime their clients to consider and book when the time is right.
In addition, we really upped our focus on providing experiential training content. We launched two virtual programs in the last 12 months, On the Road with Kimmie and a 4-part Virtual FAM trip. The On the Road with Kimmie webinar and Facebook Live series featured our team member Kim McVicker, who returned home to New Zealand at the onset of the pandemic, as she traveled throughout the country. Over 4 months Kim showcased regions throughout New Zealand, from Northland at the top all the way down to Stewart Island at the bottom of the South Island. The program was viewed by over 10,000 North American travel sellers!
Last May, we also took over 3,100 travel advisors to New Zealand via a virtual FAM program. The two-month program featured eight special videos filmed to make the viewer feel as if they are in New Zealand experiencing the activity in person. Each experience featured one of our amazing local guides and really showcased not only the beautiful landscapes but their storytelling and narration. The virtual famil was so popular that we filmed a second iteration of virtual FAM in New Zealand, which launched in September, featuring some of the South Island’s more premium experiences and accommodations.
All of this content is still accessible for travel advisors on marketinghub.newzealand.com, and more information can be found on traveltrade.newzealand.com.
In addition to our Premier Collection – top sellers have been to Newfoundland and St. Pierre and Miquelon, Northwest Territories and Yukon, and Vancouver Island.
When do you expect to return to 2019 arrival levels and is there anything you’ve been focusing on during the pandemic to come back better or more sustainably?
Photo by Graeme Murray
We’ve been monitoring consumer travel sentiment throughout the pandemic with our research partner Kantar TNS. These results are from 2021 research conducted in the US on travelers actively considering a holiday to New Zealand.
Over 70% of travelers actively considering a trip to New Zealand say they will travel internationally as often or more often than they did pre-Covid, once restrictions are lifted. When travelling internationally again, over 50% of travelers actively considering a trip to New Zealand would like to see enhanced cleaning measures and sanitization at their destination.
As travel has started again, across North America, we’ve been seeing people gravitate towards locations where they can experience nature, wide-open spaces, and the great outdoors. This is definitely something that attracts many people to New Zealand, along with the opportunity to sample our high-quality food and wine and interact with our rich indigenous culture.
Tourism New Zealand supports local businesses to become more sustainable via Qualmark, a trusted guide to quality travel experience in the country. Qualmark is a subsidiary of Tourism New Zealand that assesses and recognizes businesses that are delivering a sustainable experience, designating bronze, silver, and gold awards to those performing in accordance with the Sustainable Tourism Business criterion.
We encourage visitors to also commit to the Tiaki Promise – a pledge to care for New Zealand for now and for future generations. By following the Tiaki Promise visitors are making a commitment to New Zealand to act as a guardian, protecting and preserving our home. Further information can be found at Tourismnewzealand.com/about/sustainability, as well as Tiakinewzealand.com.
Is there any news to share in terms of hotels or airlift in the pipeline?
Photo by Navaneeth Unnikrishnan
In exciting news, Air Canada will resume its seasonal service from YVR – AKL this November.
Highlight of some of the many hotels that have opened since 2020 include:
- The Hotel Britomart: New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star Hotel and a peaceful retreat within the heart of the buzzing shopping and hospitality precinct. Opened October 2020.
- Hotel Fitzroy: Immerse yourself in a relaxed stay in this carefully restored landmark villa where indulgent treats like cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the library, breakfast in bed and quiet relaxation are all part of the experience. Beautifully designed superior and luxury rooms cater to your every whim, while our discreet hosts can curate your perfect Ponsonby experience. Opened August 2020.
- The Intrepid Hotel: The Intrepid Hotel is a boutique hotel nestled in the heart of Wellington’s Te Aro neighbourhood on vibrant Ghuznee Street, just a stone’s throw from Cuba Street. The Intrepid Hotel occupies the former office and warehouse of Cadbury Chocolate, built in1909. Opened May 2021.
- Te Awa Glamping: Te Awa Glamping is located on a working sheep and beef farm in the heart of the New Zealand King Country. Located on one of the river’s only natural terraces, you’ll wake up surrounded by 320 hectares of rolling hillside with the Whanganui River at your feet. A luxury escape located deep in our family farm with private beach access, you can arrive by jet-boat, canoe, air or road, for a stay you’ll be sure to remember.
- The Old Post Office Lodge: In 2021 this iconic century-old Ōwhango Post Office underwent an extensive eight-month renovation transforming it into what is now one of the most distinctive accommodationLodges in the entire Ruapehu District.
- Mt Isthmus: Sitting on a 7000 acre station, the villa looks out over Lake Hāwea—which is one of NewZealand’s best kept secrets. Rugged and steep mountain ranges climb straight out of the lake’s shores on all sides, and with some of the clearest waters in the country it really is a sight to be savoured. Opened July 2021.
- The Muse Art Hotel: The Mayfair will be a boutique hotel with 70 luxury rooms, a cocktail bar, cafe, and conference rooms. The hotel features an artistic theme with each of the five hotel floors assigned to a local Christchurch artist to decorate. Each artist created a mural for the main hallway of their floor, and individual artworks for the eight rooms on each floor. The hotel covers the first five floors of the building. A restaurant would open on the sixth floor while the roof would become home to a cocktail bar with 360 degree views of centralChristchurch. Opened July 2020.
How important is the Canadian market and what’s being done to grow it?
Photo by Junji Takasago
The number of Canadians choosing New Zealand as a holiday destination before the pandemic was increasing. We highly value Canadian visitors – in the year ending Feb 2019, Canadians stayed on average 18 days in New Zealand (longer than their US neighbours). We also share many cultural values with Canada and as part of the Commonwealth have a special bond!
The Canadian travel trade has also been an important community for us at Tourism New Zealand. We have a dedicated business development manager who supports Canadian advisors, attends trade events, and conducts trainings. All of the tools and resources we develop, as well as our trade marketing campaigns, all include a focus on Canadian advisors.
What are some of your personal favourite things to see, do, eat or experience?
Photo by Mark Clinton
One of my favourite spots in New Zealand is Waiheke Island, less than 1hr ferry ride from downtown Auckland. You can sip wine at some of New Zealand’s best wineries, explore secluded beaches, go snorkeling all in the same day!
Can you share a few interesting facts about New Zealand that travellers may not know about?
Photo by William Patino
Here are some quirky, but true New Zealand facts.
- There are more sheep than people.
- There are also more cows than people.
- The people of New Zealand are called Kiwis. But in most places in the world ‘kiwi’ refers to kiwifruit.
- Though–kiwifruit is not from New Zealand. It’s from China!
- Our national bird, the Kiwi, cannot fly.
- Our Parliament building in Wellington is referred to as ‘the beehive’ (this is due to the way it looks).
- We’re the first country in the world to see the sunrise.
- First country in the world to give women the vote.
- We have the longest place name of any English speaking country in the world (Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu)
- We have three national languages (English, Māori and sign language).
- Wellington is the southernmost capital in the world.
- We have the steepest street in the world–Baldwin St in Dunedin.
- No matter where you are in NZ, you will never be more than approx. 130km from the ocean.
- We have an official wizard.
- About 5% of NZ’s population is human. The rest are animals.
- Home to more species of penguin than any other country.
- The only country in the world allowed to put Hobbit related imagery on its currency.
- New Zealand is the last habitable land mass to be populated.
