MEDIA RELEASE : JULY 2001

For Immediate Release

General Distribution

Internet Tourism Success Story

New Zealand Tourism Online is relaunching its Web site this week incorporating over 6,500 travel listings and making it one of the largest directories of online tourism operators and New Zealand content.

As record numbers of visitors continue to arrive in New Zealand, many utilise the Internet to plan their travel online while tourism operators continue to seek new ways to present a virtual shop-front for the country's attractions. Christchurch-based New Zealand Tourism Online now makes it easy for visitors to plan their New Zealand experience and for operators to promote their products and services, with the launch of the latest version of their www.tourism.net.nz Web site.

Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online commenced operations in 1997 and positioned itself as a specialised directory of 300 quality tourism operators. During that time its online presence has increased exponentially to a point that it is now receiving over 1,100 site visitors a day - making it one of New Zealand's most visited Internet tourism portals.

"We are offering overseas visitors and New Zealanders a one-stop shop for information on New Zealand, its tourism operators and destinations," says General Manager of New Zealand Tourism Online, Garry Bond. "We are also encouraging tourism operators not already online to develop some sort of Web presence as visitors increasingly use the Internet as their first step for information gathering. Our research indicates that an online presence is becoming a critical factor for success in the tourism industry."

"The new site will give overseas and local visitors intending to travel to, or within New Zealand, the ability to check out and communicate with any tourism operator with a website before they travel."

Garry Bond says Tourism.net.nz has enjoyed very high rankings with Internet search engines for the past 3 years and is looking to improve on those rankings with hundreds of new links and new content. Tourism New Zealand provides content on the new site. "This partnership presents a uniform image of New Zealand to people wishing to inquire about our country on-line," says Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive, George Hickton.

New Zealand Tourism Online will be offering promotional packages to tourism operators to enhance their exposure on the site and on the Internet.