Newsletter : September 2005
brought to you by New Zealand Tourism Online www.tourism.net.nz
In this September Newsletter:
NZTO Comment
by Garry Bond, General Manager, New Zealand Tourism Online
One of the hot topics at the Tourism Conference this year was 'Managing Paradise', and this provided to be a very popular subject for the 450 delegates. The three days went quickly and although the weather was changable, it was dry and warm inside.
Day one covered all of New Zealand's main markets: Australia, USA, UK and Asia. Each market has distinct requirements, and it was interesting to get feedback from the TNZ regional managers and special guests who deal in those markets.
Day two moved onto managing our natural environment, and guest speaker Keith Bellows from the National Geographic Traveler magazine gave us plenty to think about as he cautioned on the over-commercialisation of our natural assets along with the push towards the authentic personal experience visitors are increasingly seeking.
Day three concentrated on managing tourism businesses, with the main emphasis being on the quality of the people who work in the industry. As you are probably aware, tourism needs to attract an increasing amount of people to sustain the existing and predicted growth over the next few years.
The Tourism Awards Gala Dinner followed at the conclusion of day three and for New Zealand Tourism Online, this kept us on the edge of our seat. We were thrilled to pick up the Telecom People's Choice Tourism Award for the second year in a row and we were also extremely pleased to win the Tourism Communications and Information Services Category Award. Click here for more about the awards.
On a final note, it was fairly disappointing that the media don't give the conference and awards the coverage they deserve. This included coverage of the event itself and winners from the evening. In the Christchurch Press, for example, there was a very small news brief (about 30 words on the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools win) and one picture a few days later. With tourism being the biggest export earner for the country, you'd think it would get higher profile, but I guess only bad news or something controversial gets into the media. Even the national dog show got more prime-time television coverage than one of New Zealand's most important industries!
New Feature Maps
New Zealand Tourism Online has developed a new map feature for you to use - and it's free! It's a great way to add more value to your own Web site, and there are five different maps to choose from: accommodation, attractions, tours, transport and visitor information. The example below is the visitor information map.
These maps are ideal for providing visitors to your site with quality information. As an accommodation supplier you may feel your visitors would benefit from finding out about activities in your area and around New Zealand. In this case you'd use the activities map. If applicable you may use more than one map on your site.
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What's New
Regency Duty Free have recently made changes to their stores with an exciting blend of wholesome New Zealand icons, and European brand names. They partner with Auckland International Airport's cutting edge departures concourse to launch Regency's three new stores.
The existing and very successful "Made in New Zealand" concept has been taken to a new level, with rich New Zealand imagery being employed throughout. Glowworm caves, bach living, a farm truck, All Blacks rugby wall and a sheep dog are just a few of the store's features. The new product range will give the departing tourist one last chance to soak up New Zealand before they go home.
Another successful Regency concept, "The Cellar", features many hard-to-find and premium wines from the best of New Zealand's vineyards. The wine is stylishly merchandised in a way that aims to demystify wine and make it more fun.
Regency also opened another duty free store. The store creates an exciting, open tiled shopping arena, clean lines and improved lighting. Other features include the award-winning flat screen advertising pioneered in NZ by Regency and agency Openeye Displays.
"Regency Duty Free is committed to enhancing the shopping experience for tourist and kiwi alike" says Kelvin Ricketts, Director of Regency Duty Free, New Zealand. Together, the three new stores aim to combine world-class retail with fun."
Hot Spots
by Mark Rocket, Avatar Web Promotions
It can often be tricky to juggle the content of your site so that your viewers are seeing the most vital information but there are some definite hot spots that viewers gravitate towards.
Here are a few questions you may like to ask when positioning your content:
- What is the viewer trying to accomplish when visiting my site?
- What action do I want them to take when viewing a particular page?
- Where is their attention likely to be focused?
- How can I keep the page looking intuitive to use, clean and inviting?
Certain positions on a Web page tend to be seen more than others. This 'heat map' illustrates approximate hot spots on a page. The colours fade from red (high performance) to white (low performance).
Many sites are designed from an aesthetic or technical perspective, but to get maximum benefit it makes sense to locate your key information in the hottest positions of your Web pages. Strong calls to action placed near rich content and navigational items usually do well because users are focused on those areas of a page.
Contact Avatar if you'd like them to review your site's content placement for maximum pulling power.
Scanners and Skimmers
by Mark Rocket, Avatar Web Promotions
It's useful to keep in mind that most viewers scan or skim when reading through your Web site. You probably haven't thought about it, but you do it yourself!
- Scanners glance over the content quickly and systematically
- Skimmers give a quick and superficial reading, scrutiny or consideration
For the typical user, the Web isn't an experience congruous with reading their favourite novel where they savour every single word. It's about getting the facts quickly!
So what can you do to help? Here are some tips...
- Provide scanners with clear top level headings, effective imagery, good font size, effective colours and clean layout
- Provide skimmers with bolded keywords, bullet points, short paragraphs, make sure the first and last sentences in each paragraph are strong and use hyperlinks effectively
We welcome any feedback or contributions for our next newsletter - just email our team web@tourism.net.nz
Regards,
The Team
Ph. 0800 14 65 47
https://www.tourism.net.nz
New Zealand Tourism Online Limited
Head Office: 208 Cashel Street, Christchurch
