Latest news with #EveryoneMustGo
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Govt says controversial campaign 'a winner'
Image: supplied The government is calling the controversial 'Everyone Must Go' campaign a winner for attracting Australian tourists to New Zealand shores. The campaign was ridiculed when it was launched. Media in the United States and United Kingdom called it tone-deaf, while opposition MPs said it made New Zealand sound like a clearance-sale item. But Tourism New Zealand stats show it delivered 7981 additional visitors between March and May. Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said that was more than 1000 additional visitors than expected. She described the campaign as a winner, aimed at grabbing people's attention - and it did. "We knew Aussies would recognise it as a great opportunity. Just like they grabbed Phar Lap and pavlova, it's proved the same story with 'Everyone Must Go'." The campaign targeted a $17 million spend boost, and the minister said it generated an estimated $22 million in incremental visitor spend. The industry had backed the campaign, with 450 operators offering more than 800 deals to entice travellers, she said. "A key part of this campaign's success were the deals the tourism industry came to the party with. This team approach showed we can deliver great results for the sector when government and industry are joined up and working towards the same goals." The campaign received an initial $500,000 budget from the International Visitor Levy, but received an additional $300,000 boost. Of the additional visitors, 6804 of them could be directly attributed to bookings made via the campaign, with the remaining 1177 linked to the indirect conversion activity. The total number of Aussie arrivals in autumn increased by more than 24,000 - hitting 331,571 this year. "Every one of those Australian visitors who ate at cafes and restaurants, visited tourist attractions and shopped in our towns and cities has helped the New Zealand tourism sector grow, and boosted the Kiwi economy in the process," Upston said.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Take That! Tourism Campaign A Hit With Aussies
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality The 'Everyone Must Go' campaign encouraging Australians to pick New Zealand for their next holiday has hit its results out of the park, bringing in thousands of visitors in a boost for regional economies and tourism operators. Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says 'Everyone Must Go' was initially targeted at 6,750 additional arrivals over the autumn but ended up significantly exceeding expectations. ''Everyone Must Go' has been a winner,'' Louise Upston says. 'Tourism NZ stats released to me show it delivering an additional 7,981 visitors to smash its initial forecasts. It also attracted significant attention on both sides of the Tasman, and got Kiwis and Aussies talking about New Zealand as a destination. 'Tourism is a key part of our plan to grow the economy, create jobs, lift wages and help Kiwis get ahead. 'Everyone Must Go' is a great example of the sector and Government working together to achieve these goals. 'We knew Aussies would recognise it as a great opportunity. Just like they grabbed Phar Lap and pavlova, it's proved the same story with 'Everyone Must Go.' 'A key part of this campaign's success were the deals the tourism industry came to the party with. This team approach showed we can deliver great results for the sector when Government and industry are joined up and working towards the same goals.' More than 800 deals from 450 operators across accommodation, transport and experiences were available during the campaign. The initial $500,000 campaign spend delivered a solid return on investment, leading to an additional $300,000 to give the campaign a further boost. 'This campaign was the first Tourism Boost initiative, and these positive results show that with the right investment in the right markets we will drive economic growth. 'Every one of those Australian visitors who ate at cafes and restaurants, visited tourist attractions and shopped in our towns and cities has helped the New Zealand tourism sector grow, and boosted the Kiwi economy in the process,' Louise Upston says. Notes: The Autumn campaign targeted an additional 6,750 visitors (above baseline growth) from Australia between March and May and delivered an additional 7,981 arrivals over the period. 6,804 arrivals were directly attributable to bookings made via the campaign and an additional 1,177 arrivals were from the indirect halo effect of conversion activity in market over and above the campaign. The additional 7,981 visitors generated an estimated $22M in incremental visitor spend (29 per cent ahead of the campaign target of $17M). Across Autumn 2025, the total number of visitor arrivals from Australia increased by more than 24,000 – up from 307,338 last year to 331,571 this year. These additional 24,233 visitors generated an estimated $67M in visitor spend. The campaign had support from the industry including: strong collaboration with airlines, hotels, travel agencies and online travel platforms; 450 tourism operators providing 800 deals on TNZ's
NZ Herald
09-06-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Government makes another investment into tourism marketing
The Government is pumping another $13.5 million into international tourism marketing, with the expectation it brings an extra 72,000 visitors to New Zealand. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Tourism Minister Louise Upston are expected to talk to media about the announcement at a 3.30pm press conference at Auckland International Airport. The money is on top of other investments into marketing announced earlier this year. Those were focused on increasing visitors between now and early 2026, while today's announcement is focused on arrivals in the years beyond that. Upston said today's funding – which comes from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) - will be targeted towards core markets like Australia, the United States and China over the coming years. 'We know how important marketing is to attract visitors, with around 14% of international holiday visitors directly influenced by Tourism NZ's marketing activity,' she said. It's expected to deliver an extra 72,000 international visitors to NZ and generate about $300 million in spending, which the minister said was a 'very strong return on investment'. Upston said international visitor numbers continue to climb and this additional investment would help drive economic growth. 'Encouraging more visitors means more people staying in our hotels, eating in our cafés, spending in our shops and visiting our attractions. 'This creates jobs and drives economic growth. We want people to know New Zealand is open for business and we welcome visitors with open arms.' The minister said this is the first investment from the Government's yet-to-be-revealed Tourism Growth Roadmap. She said it will set out a 'series of Government initiatives and investments for the Government and industry to work together to double the value of tourism exports by 2034″. This is in addition to the $13.5 million announced by Upston in April for marketing as well as the 'Everyone Must Go' campaign to get Australians to New Zealand.
NBC News
17-02-2025
- Business
- NBC News
New Zealand's ‘everyone must go' tourism campaign mocked by locals heading for the exit
A New Zealand government tourism campaign titled 'Everyone Must Go' is drawing derision and mockery from residents who have criticized it as tone deaf, especially at a time when New Zealanders themselves are leaving the country in droves. In an announcement on Sunday, officials said they were spending 500,000 New Zealand dollars ($287,000) on the campaign, which is aimed at visitors from neighboring Australia, New Zealand's biggest tourism market. Like many countries, New Zealand has struggled to restore its tourism industry since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the number of visitors from Australia is still at 88% of 2019 levels. 'What this Tourism New Zealand campaign says to our Aussie mates is that we're open for business, there are some great deals on, and we'd love to see you soon,' Tourism Minister Louise Upston said in a news release. Critics disagreed, saying the slogan sounded like New Zealand was advertising a clearance sale. Others said it invited bathroom jokes. 'I think 'Everyone Must Go' might refer to the need for toilets in some of our high-tourist spots. I mean, the queues are ridiculous,' Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, tourism spokesperson for the opposition Labour Party, told New Zealand news outlet RNZ. Upston did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The campaign comes as record numbers of New Zealanders are leaving the country of 5 million, driven in part by concerns about high living costs and lack of job opportunities. Last year, the country had a net migration loss of 47,100 New Zealand citizens, Stats NZ said Monday. More than half of those migrants went to Australia, where they can live and work visa-free under a reciprocal arrangement. There were 3.3 million visitor arrivals in New Zealand last year, Stats NZ said separately on Monday, up 12% from 2023. Australia, the United States and China were the biggest sources of visitors, with the 370,000 U.S. arrivals representing a record for a calendar year. Tourism was New Zealand's biggest export earner before the pandemic, and the conservative government has looked to it as one way to boost the economy. Last month, officials said they were easing visa rules to allow digital nomads to work in New Zealand while visiting on holiday, in the hope that they would spend more time there. Opposition lawmakers say that while they would welcome more tourists, they worry about the impact on the environment and whether the country's tourism infrastructure can support them. 'We've had the digital nomad announcement, now we've got this — and the attitude of anyone, anytime, anywhere, is concerning,' Tangaere-Manuel said. In an effort to address those concerns, last year the New Zealand government nearly tripled the entry fee for international tourists to 100 New Zealand dollars ($62.20) from 35 dollars. Australians are exempted from paying the levy, the proceeds from which are funding the same campaign for their tourist dollars that has sparked the controversy. Social media users skeptical of the 'Everyone Must Go' slogan pointed out another possible use for it.
