Bumper ski season to lure Aussies

Two special ads will go to air in Australia today encouraging Australians to share our slopes this spring, Tourism Minister Damien O’Connor said today.

“This ski season is predicted to be the best and longest we’ve ever had and with the school holidays coming up, it’s the perfect time to be encouraging Aussies to book a spring ski holiday,” said Mr O’Connor.

“Australia is a vital market for New Zealand’s $8.3 billion tourism industry, providing over 38 per cent of total visitors last year,” said Mr O’Connor.

Just over 70,000 Australians participated in snowsports during their visit in the year to March 2008, up 30 percent on the previous year.

Tourism New Zealand’s What’s On campaigns have run during the winter season for the past two years, but this latest advertising activity has been created to take advantage of the season’s record snow falls.

“The New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 highlights the need for the tourism industry to stimulate demand outside the peak season. The What’s On campaign is designed to show the range of activities available in New Zealand at different times of the year and encourage travel in the shoulder and off-peak seasons,” said Mr O’Connor.

Mr O’Connor said one of the ads was created based on feedback from the tourism industry that suggested there is a preference for more marketing targeted at families.

“Tourism New Zealand has brought children into the mix with these ads as a result of recent conversations with the industry. It's also a chance to showcase a different kind of New Zealand holiday experience.”

The new campaign will air on Australian television for a week starting today. It will be supported by online advertising and special travel deals available through Tourism New Zealand’s consumer website, www.newzealand.com