Promoting the mighty Waikato is more than our clever marketing campaigns and stunning images – it takes many behind-the-scenes connections, collaborations, and conversations to fly the flag.
Hamilton and Waikato Tourism staff at TRENZ in Rotorua. Photo: Supplied.
At Hamilton and Waikato Tourism, we’re proud ambassadors for the mighty Waikato, and recent industry events have given us prime opportunities to put our region on the map in ways residents rarely see but benefit from.
Nicola Greenwell
In February, we attended the International Media Marketplace in Sydney – an important global event connecting the travel media industry. Over 25 one-on-one meetings with Australian travel writers, publications, and influencers allowed us to pitch story ideas and promote our region. The result? Collaborations with Jetstar, Queensland Airports, and Australian media coverage linked to our new Jetstar flights.
The travel trade calendar has been busy, with several major events designed to connect inbound tour operators (ITOs), wholesalers, and agents with regional tourism organisations (RTOs). At these platforms we are the voice of the Waikato, updating the industry on new experiences and offerings.
The RTO/ ITO Day in Auckland in March saw our team hold 58 12-minute appointments over two days. Then came the eXplore Trade Show, a collaborative showcase hosted by the eight central North Island RTOs. Alongside nine Waikato operators, we met over 250 Auckland-based ITOs – the largest attendance yet.
The highlight of the trade year, TRENZ, took place in Rotorua last month. We attended with four operators, holding 51 appointments and countless discussions. Post-event, we hosted two famil trips showcasing the Waikato firsthand.
Waikato Regional Theatre
How it will look: Waikato Regional Theatre.
Feedback at these events has been extremely positive. There’s growing interest in our ever-evolving tourism product, including new hotels, the pending opening of our Waikato Regional Theatre, Hamilton Gardens’ new paid-entry model, Hobbiton’s Behind the Scenes tour, and Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari’s seasonal Kiwi experiences. The announcement of Australian flights direct to Hamilton has also been welcomed, including buyers from further afield looking to create dual-destination itineraries.
We’ve partnered with the Central North Island RTOs and Air New Zealand to launch a North American market activation. This initiative includes webinar training with live Q&A, and a famil visit for eight top-selling US agents.
Alongside leisure travel activity, we’ve been promoting the region for conferences and incentive travel. We attended the Australasian Incentive Meetings Expo in Melbourne in February, in collaboration with Tourism New Zealand and Hobbiton Movie Set. Next up is Meetings this month, where we’ll exhibit with eight Waikato venues and event providers.
Many of these events lead to familiarisation visits – famils – which we’ll cover in a future column. We also remain active at key tourism gatherings such as the Tourism Summit, Tourism New Zealand Hui, and Regional Tourism NZ events.
Behind every campaign, event, collaboration or conversation is a committed team working to showcase the Waikato. Tourism promotion is a team effort – and wherever we go, we’re proud to fly the flag for the mighty Waikato. After all, a great place to visit is a great place to live.
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