Newsletter : April 2013
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide www.tourism.net.nz April 2013 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this April newsletter:
TNZ Campaign Delivers 12,000 Bookings
A summer season campaign launched in late October targeting Korea's group and active independent travellers has delivered some 12,000 holiday bookings to New Zealand in five months.
Regional Manager, Nick Mudge says, "The campaign included an online promotion called 'Three Routes in New Zealand' and profiled different types of independent holidays themed around cycling, hiking and motorhomes.
By working with eighteen different travel agents we were able to reach a significant volume of our active considerer target across a variety of sectors from the young traveller seeking adventure to the retired couples wanting a slice of New Zealand luxury."
Campaign activity appeared in traditional print, in-store and online channels as well as on subway screens and the side of buses, the lift screen in luxury apartments and at consumer events.
NZ Companies Fined for Breaches of Fair Trade Act
Tourism New Zealand welcomed the recent conviction of companies Top Sky Holdings Limited and Kiwi Wool Limited for breaches of the Fair Trading Act and consequent fines totalling $259,000. The charges related to occasions when Asian visitors on group tours were misled regarding the products they purchased from their shops.
Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler says the sentencing is good news for the entire industry, "The delivery of a quality visitor experience is extremely important to everyone in the tourism industry and visitors leaving the country feeling they have been deceived could have a negative impact on this country's reputation.
TNZ is very pleased to see that the Commerce Commission has acted to hold to account individuals and companies for illegal practices that breach the requirements of the Fair Trading Act. This sends a clear message that the NZ government will not tolerate unlawful activities undertaken by New Zealand businesses to exploit international visitors for financial gain."
Tourism Marketing for Senior Travellers
Written by Steph Kendall
Last month, we published an article on 'Segment Marketing', marketing your product to a specific segment of your target market. One segment of the tourism market which is particularly lucrative and one which you may want to incorporate into you marketing plans is the 'seniors market' - broadly defined by its age and lifestyle.
The Seniors Market
The seniors market comprises of men and women over 50, pre or post retirees - a market that is fitter, healthier and wealthier than ever before. In the UK, it's estimated that over 80 per cent of the country's wealth is held by the over 50s. The market is continually increasing throughout the world, but it's worth remembering that closer to home, this market is also a sizeable one. Around 25% of the total New Zealand population - over one million people - are over 55 years.
You may also see the seniors market referred to as the 'mature market', 'baby boomers' (born in between 1946 and 1964), 'grey nomads' (particularly in Australia), 'grey gappers' (seniors taking a gap year due to early retirement or redundancy) and as 'denture venturers' (more adventurous seniors).
Of the top 10 most popular destinations in the world for over 50s, New Zealand ranked as the third most popular behind Australia and Canada. The issue of getting to New Zealand is clearly not putting older travellers off and travel options such as cruise ship travel, longer 'Down Under' tours, stopovers and upgrades all help.
Low Key Marketing and Offers
Almost any tourism business can attract seniors' dollars, whether it's by a tailor-made tour or experience, or simply an offer in the coffee shop or restaurant. Here are a few 'low-key' easy to implement ideas:
- A percentage off the normal price - 10% off coffee shop bill or 15% off tour price
- A dollar value off the normal price - $5 off normal adult admission
- Added value (e.g. cup of coffee with any gift shop purchase)
- Complimentary glass of wine with dinner
- Free continental breakfast with accommodation
Using Cross Marketing to Create Senior Appeal
However, it's more enticing to offer experiences around your product or that of an associate business (whether it be accommodation, eateries, wineries, tours or activities) that specifically appeal to the seniors' market segment. Try to include some of the activities popular with this age group when you publish online or print marketing material designed to appeal to this segment - a few ideas include:
- Stargazing
- Journals / scrapbooking
- Fossicking
- Wine tasting
- Bird watching
- Keeping fit
- Cookery
- Wildlife
- Dancing
- Art appreciation
- Gardens
- Sailing
- Cruises
For Adventurous Travellers - Promote the NZ Benefits
But remember, this is New Zealand. Senior travellers probably already know (from their own kids alone, if not from other sources) that New Zealand is the destination for more adventurous activities. Try marketing those activities and attractions with appeal to 'denture venturers'; - hiking, kayaking, bungy jumping, motorbike touring, skydiving, rafting, etc. - but make sure you promote and mention things that may concern this market such as:
- Your/your partner's safety record
- Age appropriate experiences
- Testimonials from older travellers
- Special assistance provided for older clientele
- First aid and emergency care.
Benefits that Seniors May Look For
Remember to think 'like' your market and consider what they may be looking for in terms of experience, value, comfort and convenience. In your marketing material, think about promoting:
- Special offers and rates for the seniors' market (as above)
- Convenience factors such as: planned itineraries, well-scheduled day tours, complimentary pick-up and drop-offs
- Comfort issues: easy access rooms, facilities for guests with disabilities or mobility issues, spacious transport, tours with plenty of comfort breaks, helpful and courteous staff.
Marketing Material
It's important that you present your product in a way that appeals to this age group. You should try to include:
- Photographs and video clips featuring men and women over 50 enjoying your product
- Testimonials that include an 'age' in the by-line or a photograph of the participant
- A style of writing and presentation that appeals to this segment.
A final note, ensure that your booking process is easy to follow – this age group of 'silver surfers' is regarded as internet savvy, but make booking with you directly easy to do so you don't lose them.
10 Tips to Improve Business
Written by Steph Kendall
- Revamp your website - you don't have to change your entire website to freshen up your online business presentation, just publish different headings, new text and image on your home page.
- Offer something new - see if you can offer your guests something new to do at your place - art or cooking classes, wildlife study, 'skills' demonstration - use your areas of expertise or work with a local expert and don't forget to market it.
- Revisit your NZTG directory listing - there may be other categories for your business to list in. You may find that your listing is displayed more prominently in secondary categories with less competition.
- Encourage your guests (offer incentives perhaps) to write up their good experiences with your business on TripAdvisor, Thorntree, AA, other traveller forums or on their own blogs.
- Learn the basics in a few languages so you can say a few words and greet guests in their mother tongue - more and more visitors to New Zealand are Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
- Brochures - make sure that the local i-SITE office has plenty of your brochures to hand out to visitors and make sure existing brochures are replaced if they look tatty or are out-of-date.
- Easy freebies - give your guests some easy, promotional freebies to take home or send on. A postcard with pictures of your business and its website details is ideal - you could even sell the stamps too.
- Little touches count - create a good, first impression with minimal outlay. Consider: chocolates on the pillow (something like Ferrero Rocher), information brochure on the local area, complimentary 'smellies' featuring some local products if available, good quality coffee and tea bags (follow the US lead and install a small percolator in each room), fresh flowers, clean and fresh smelling linen and room, etc.
- If you run a campground, consider laying on extra entertainment or facilities that could make your business stand out from the competition: movie under the stars, free barbecue night, visit from local park ranger, wine tasting, kids' attraction - e.g. bouncy castle, water slide, animal petting, etc.
- Increase the size of your website by publishing testimonials from your guests as new pages- one page can include pictures and their 'holiday story' - great for search engines, as well as attracting new business.
More Business Tips
You'll find more business tips in our newsletter archive, alongside:
Top Tourism Site of the Month
This month's Top Tourism Site Award goes to Relaxing Journeys.
This website does a wonderful job of publishing a great deal of information about its tours in an extremely user-friendly way. The layout is clear, bright and attractive and the home page includes everything it should: information about its products and the company, booking process, New Zealand facts, helpful visitor information, testimonials, maps, links to social media and photographs, etc.
The website also has a useful functionality, 'add to shortlist', whereby customers choose any tour that interests them to go on their shortlist before making a final choice. The menus are particularly successful, with easy to read indexes pulling down from the main navigation bar. With so many good things going on, it is only perhaps the quality of the photographs that let the home page down slightly.
Nominate a Site
If you think a New Zealand travel or tourism website deserves a 'Top Tourism Site Award', let us know about it. (View further information about the award criteria).
About the Top Tourism Site Award
The New Zealand Tourism Guide confers a Top Tourism Site Award to websites that:
- Enhance New Zealand as a travel destination
- Publish useful and informative content
- Are laid out in a professional and aesthetically-pleasing manner
- Are designed effectively for the World Wide Web
- May demonstrate easy functionality, interactivity, originality, outstanding graphic quality and marketing reach.
We welcome any feedback — send your comments to: news@tourism.net.nz
Kind regards,
The Team
Ph 0800 14 65 49
www.tourism.net.nz
New Zealand Tourism Guide
Head Office: Level One, 534 Colombo Street, Christchurch