Newsletter : February 2015
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide www.tourism.net.nz February 2015 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this February newsletter:
Golf Tourism Gets Boost in Queenstown
Plans for a huge expansion of New Zealand's most luxurious golfing and lifestyle resort have been unveiled this month. The Millbrook Resort near Queenstown aims to increase its site through the acquisition of Dalgleish farm land. This may enable the resort to add a further nine holes to its golf offering (Millbrook currently has 27 holes of golf but in practice can only operate a single 18-hole course on any given day).
A public consultation process has started on the expansion with drop in sessions held for people interested in the expansion. A spokesman for Millbrook said that a Tourism NZ working group - Golf Tourism New Zealand - had identified significant growth opportunities for high-yielding golf tourism in New Zealand, particularly the Queenstown Lakes area.
Kiwi Dollar Falling Could Mean Prices Rising?
There was speculation at the end of January that the falling New Zealand dollar would help boost tourism and may enable hotel operators to increase prices.
Lesley Immink, Chief Executive of Tourism Export Council said the declining currency might not bring a greater number of visitors immediately, but it would enable those with United States dollars to spend more. "We've been able to trade through the most difficult period where the high kiwi was like an extra tax," she said. "When there's (US dollar) movement going up then that's dollars in the bank. It's also an opportunity for operators, particularly in accommodation, to put their prices up a bit.
"Some of them haven't been able to make any money over the past few years and while we're not wanting to encourage gouging there's an opportunity to put [nightly rates] up another $10 to $20."
The tourism industry wants to topple dairy as New Zealand's biggest earner. It made $9.8 billion from overseas visitors last year, and last surpassed dairy in 2008. New Zealand tourism is having its best summer yet with double-digit growth from the United States, the country's third-biggest market. Tourism Industry Association Chief Executive Chris Roberts said the lower dollar would cement these gains. Figures for the year to the end of November showed US visitors spent $748 million.
During 2014, tourism directly employed 4.7 per cent of the New Zealand workforce and indirectly employs another 3.6 per cent. Key said the government would continue to invest across a wide range of areas in tourism infrastructure and marketing reach.
Fleming Set to Woo Indian Travellers
Tourism New Zealand has appointed Kiwi cricket star Stephen Fleming as a tourism ambassador. The former Black Caps captain will endorse New Zealand as a holiday destination in India, where he is a well-known figure, having coached Mumbai's Chennai Super Kings (winners of the 2014 Champions League Twenty20) since 2009.
Steven Dixon, Tourism New Zealand's Regional Manager South and South East Asia, says he is delighted with the appointment. "Stephen is the ideal candidate to promote New Zealand's unique tourism offerings in India, given the nation's love affair with cricket and the fact he is well-known as the coach of the Super Kings. With a huge global television audience - it was estimated that over a billion people tuned into the India v Pakistan match alone - the Cricket World Cup has provided us with a fantastic opportunity to capture the attention of the Indian market, to promote New Zealand as co-host of the tournament. Building on that, and taking on Stephen as a tourism ambassador, we can further leverage the profile he has in India to promote the country as a visitor destination long after the final ball of the CWC has been played."
Through the development of Tourism New Zealand's three-year marketing strategy, India was identified as holding significant potential for New Zealand in the longer term. As a result, India is a focus emerging market, with Tourism New Zealand committed to investing within this market to build visitor demand and provide leadership and support for New Zealand tourism businesses.
The Instant Marketing Makeover
Written by Steph Kendall
Nothing lets marketing material down more than the use of poor quality images, which have far greater immediate impact on visitors/viewers than any other element (colours, font, layout, etc.).
In a highly competitive online marketplace, the only place for low-res images taken on a handy smartphone are in Facebook posts and Twitter tweets. It's in social media channels that casual, informal, spontaneous and jokey images have their place. On your website – including your blog pages – the only images you should publish should be high quality, enticing and appealing.
If time is short and you need an image makeover fast, go online and search for image libraries focussing on New Zealand topics. Many images are available at no charge.
Remember:
- It is easy to lose time when viewing picture libraries, try to have a specific type of picture/subject/theme and outcome in mind (before it becomes quicker to commission a photographer and stage a photo shoot).
- You must read the terms and conditions relating to copyright and permissions, before you use any images.
- Other business owners also have access to these libraries – you will not be publishing 'ego-centric' images to sell your business, and arguably there is a lack of authenticity and uniqueness inherent in using library stock.
New Zealand Image Libraries
- http://www.images.newzealand.com/ - This image library includes category listed images for free use within in New Zealand. Categories include Regions, Accommodation, Activities, Art & Culture, Attractions, Backpacking and Youth, Business Events, Cruise, Events, Food and Wine, Kiwi Lifestyle, Māori Culture, Maps, Nature, Flora, Fauna, Qualmark, Scenic, Transport, Urban Scenes and Walks
- http://www.photonewzealand.com/ - Offers over 16,500 royalty-free images costing from $99 and can put you in touch with over 150 professional photographers from all over New Zealand. If you want to commission a professional, then view their profile and portfolio.
- http://www.mychillybin.co.nz/ - Royalty-free Kiwi images that you can use for advertising, promotions, marketing material, the web or even a special event starting from $25 (GST inclusive). Exclusive rights also available. Photographers can also submit their work.
- http://www.hedgehoghouse.com/ - Promotes its personal service and unique imagery delivered as high resolution, quality controlled digital files or scanned transparencies. Features the work of 40 New Zealand photographers and includes images of New Zealand, Antarctica, Arctic, Himalaya, adventure sports, travel and culture, environments, climate change and pollution, natural history and wildlife.
- http://www.newzealandstocklibrary.co.nz/ - New Zealand Stock Library offers an extensive selection of high quality images of New Zealand for license. All stock photos can be supplied as high resolution digital files (subject to license agreement). This collection showcases New Zealand's stunning scenery and landscapes and include a large number of aerial images giving an amazing perspective of this beautiful country.
Non New Zealand-Focussed Image Libraries
These sites are great for 'mood' shots, which do not necessarily feature a New Zealand scene, icon or setting.
- http://www.flickr.com/ - Flickr allows you to share, store, search, and sort your photos. There are always plenty of images available for you to use. Flickr is free, though you will have to register if you want to upload and edit your own images. The photographers establish the terms, so read the permissions carefully.
- http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ - Over 2000 free images that you can use in commercial and non-commercial work. You are not allowed to sell, redistribute, or claim these images as your own. You can browse by category or search for exactly what you need.
- http://freephotosbank.com/ - Allows users to have non-exclusive, non-transferable license to images. You can search for photos, see which photos are the most popular, which ones have the highest ratings or the most downloads and download free images.
- http://morguefile.com/ - Offers stock photographs in high-resolution digital. With over 55,000 images, divided into several categories, they are sure to have something you can use. Search results display quickly and the photos are top quality.
- http://www.freeimages.com/ - Offers high quality images taken around the world by amateur photographers. If you have an interest in photography, you can even submit your own pictures. There are various searching options and over 350,000 images. The photographers establish the terms, so read the fine print.
10 Tips to Improve Business
Compiled by Steph Kendall
This month's tips focus on ways to build and improve awareness of your business brand in order to increase your clientele and improve your bottom line.
- Optimise Your Website - Making sure that your website is optimised for its target market is still one of the first things you should check. Research those keyword phrases and ensure they are located in the optimum positions in the website content for maximum benefit.
- Use Your Website as Your Marketing Hub - Your business website is usually the first point at which a client will seek information and interaction from you. Make sure your brand is portrayed at its professional best and that the website sets the tone for all your brand marketing.
- Be Consistent - Ensure you use the same logo, colours and fonts in your marketing in whichever channels you are using (website, print, newsletters, e-marketing, social media, etc.). This enables your market to recognise your business instantly.
- Support Your Brand - Tell the story of your business, so people can work out (and trust) what your brand means – who's behind it, what it means and how you do business.
- Promote Your Brand - Make sure you keep in regular touch with your market and put your brand 'out there' through regular mailings, social media posts and other marketing activity.
- Use Online Channels - Improve your brand visibility online by contributing new content to websites (including your own), writing articles, contributing to forums/directory websites.
- Sponsor an Event - Consider sponsoring events or activities that will help put your brand in front of a wide (and relevant) audience through the event itself as well as through the event's promotion.
- Never Underestimate Small Touches - Make sure your brand is professionally presented even in the 'little things' such as an email signature. Ensure your staff stay on brand and don't embellish signatures with personal flourishes.
- Social Media - Support and further promote your brand through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. However, think about the most suitable channels for reaching your target audience and focussing your efforts on these.
- Mobile Branding - Get your company vehicles branded with your company logo, key marketing message and contact details and effortlessly get your brand in front of hundreds of people every day.
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 Adventure Horse Trekking New Zealand, Waimate.
www.adventurehorsetrekking.co.nz
The first thing that catches the eye about this website is the slightly unusual location of the revolving images on the home page. These are situated on the left hand side rather than as a 'banner' across the top of the page. Anything that makes a viewer stop and take notice of a website is a good thing as this encourages viewers to stay on the site longer and linger over content.
The images on the website are mostly of high quality and little design touches such as the horseshoe favicon show a nice attention to detail. The site could be improved by thorough proofreading, more attention paid to optimising key elements such as the home page Meta Data and an active 'About Us' link on the main navigation. The current link back to the home page from the About Us button makes one feel as if a page is missing. Overall, a very attractive website.
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: Ground Floor, 518 Colombo Street, Christchurch