Ambitious Ad Campaign to Revitalize South Island Tourism

May 16, 2012 - PRLog -- An ambitious cross border ad campaign was recently undertaken by to promote New Zealand's South Island as the ideal road trip destination to Australian tourists. Although Australia remains New Zealand's largest source of visitors, numbers have dropped significantly in the wake of the devastating 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. The South Island Road Trip media campaign aims to redress the perceptions many Australians have of post-earthquake Christchurch, and promote the South Island as the perfect summer holiday destination for intrepid Aussie travellers.

The South Island Road Trip campaign's main objective is to convince Australians to come down and embark on a road tour of iconic South Island locations in a rental car or campervan. The island's diverse landscape, picturesque Alpine geography, quaint resort towns and excellent road network offers endless of exploration, romance and adventure on the open road.

A joint effort among various national and regional trade and tourism bodies, the 1.6 million NZD campaign is the first of its kind, both in terms of size and organisation. Among the groups taking part are Tourism New Zealand, Destination Queenstown, Tourism Dunedin, Lake Wanaka Tourism, Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism and Christchurch International Airport.

While the campaign is primarily aimed at boosting visitors from across the Tasman Sea for the summer, its ultimate goal is to present the South Island as a viable and attractive travel destination to Australians for many more years to come. Tourism New Zealand General Manager Australia Tim Burgess sums up the long-term goals of the South Island Road Trip campaign, saying:

"Most New Zealanders know that the South Island is the perfect place to do a road trip. This campaign enables us to make sure Australians are aware of that too, and encourage them to experience it for themselves first-hand."

The target demographic of the campaign are families, 18-29 year olds and the over 55's. The advertisements will be delivered through multiple media channels, from television spots to print, outdoor and online advertising. The South Island Road Trip campaign even managed to snag a recurring three day promotional spot on The Today Show, Australia's most popular morning breakfast show.

Destination Queenstown chief executive Tony Everitt was upbeat at the prospects of increased tourist numbers as a result of the South Island Road Trip, and reiterated Queenstown's complete support for the campaign, stating:

"[It was the] largest single advertising campaign Destination Queenstown has been directly involved in".

He went on to say that new hotel capacity in Queenstown is being added to improve services and increase tourist numbers in the South Island resort town.

Australia is still New Zealand's largest inbound tourism market thanks to its close proximity, favourable exchange rates and excellent air and sea links.

Wedderburn Cottages offers unique accommodation situated in the heart of central Otago new Zealand. To visit their website http://www.wedderburncottages.co.nz