Australians are being targeted by Tourism New Zealand campaigns aimed to boost arrivals in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Photo: Natalia Catalina / 123RF
The organisation received a $10 million funding boost from the government to ease the pressure on the tourism industry.
Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) said Australia was the market that offered the most opportunities in the short term.
Its chief executive, Stephen England-Hall, said the campaigns would include partnering with airlines, airports, and regions to encourage short breaks in the shoulder season.
"New Zealand is entering a period of slowed international growth, with several markets in decline. Global events like Covid-19 has intensified this and we are retaking action to alleviate the impacts of the economy," England-Hall said.
"We've carefully considered where increased activity from us will have the most impact on short and medium-term visitor growth."
A winter ski campaign has already been launched to attract beginners into the regions off peak, as well as showcasing alternative activities including dog sledding.
The mainly digital campaign hones in on the four key ski regions - Ruapehu, Mt Hutt, Queenstown and Wanaka.
"Around 66 percent of the growing Australian ski market are beginner skiers seeking an easy and accessible winter escape," he said.
TNZ will look to attract more post-Brexit UK tourists and visitors from the United States in the next spring-summer season.
That builds on new airline routes connecting New Zealand and US and collaborations, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The Chinese market had not yet been forgotten despite the Covid-19 outbreak.
"While our plans are focussed on growth from other markets, we very much look forward to renewing our activity in China and welcoming Chinese visitors back to New Zealand as soon as possible," he said.
"We will also work on plans to reinvest in the market when the time is right. It's incredibly competitive on the world stage right now with all destination marketers competing for visitors. We have some exciting and innovative work planned alongside key partners to help us stand out from the crowd so we are ready to give it a good go."
