The Mighty Waikato region has partnered with five other regions from the Central North Island to entice New Zealand travellers to visit our part of the world. The new campaign entitled ‘Get Out More NZ’ showcases the big adventures that can be had within a short travelling distance, with a humorous twist.
The campaign pokes fun at some of the family lockdown experiences that we all shared and encourages Kiwis to ‘Get Out More’ now that we can travel safely again.
We’ve got granddads knitting, kids driving parents crazy and bored couples stuck inside watching the same TV shows – experiences that our target markets can relate to. The campaign offers an alternative adventure to these markets by showcasing the unique experiences on offer in our regions.
The Coastal Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Hamilton & Waikato, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, Ruapehu and Taupō regions are inviting Kiwis to take a road trip through the diverse landscapes in the central North Island. From weekend roadies to longer drive holidays, there are plenty of suggested itineraries on offer for the adventure seekers, beach lovers, cultural explorers or those looking for family fun on the Get Out More NZ website.
With more than 2.6 million people living within a three-hour radius of Hamilton & the Waikato, the drive market is key to travelling within the Central North Island.
Our regions normally collectively work together in our long-haul international markets, so with borders closed and the battle for the domestic visitor dollar underway, we thought it was best to collaborate to target the domestic drive market.
While the rest of the country’s regional tourism organisations vie for a share of the New Zealand travel market, this collective decided to take a different approach and work together. In the wake of Covid-19, this shift in strategy is “what we call in the tourism industry a ‘pivot’ to the domestic market”.
The latest stats from the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment showed that our collective regions normally attract domestic visitors who inject $3.175 billion in our regional economies (year ending August 2020). Pre-Covid, New Zealanders would normally spend around $18 billion on domestic travel, so we are hoping to collaboratively capture a significant piece of that pie.
The Get Out More NZ campaign will run until Christmas and will appear across Google advertising, Facebook, and print advertising. The campaign is targeting retirees, young families, and couples in the North Island. It offers an extensive collection of ready-made itineraries on the newly built website www.getoutmorenz.com.
It’s a great tool for travellers seeking ideas for a short break away or even a roadie. Users can either coordinate their travel themselves or seek help to book through the regions i-SITE visitor information centres.
So much of the tourism landscape has changed and all our organisations have certainly had to think outside the box to help our industry as much as we can. As regions, our collaborative approach to solutions and cohesive marketing hasn’t changed – we are just talking to an audience much closer to home.
To find out more visit www.getoutmorenz.com