Newsletter : July 2011
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide www.tourism.net.nz July 2011 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this July newsletter:
Saying No to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
Written by Steph Kendall
Social media marketing is definitely all the rage at the moment and it's easy to get fooled into thinking that unless you have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, forums and blogs your online business is doomed to failure. However, when time, resources and perhaps even energy are in short-supply, it's a wise move to spend time defining your online marketing goals before deciding which tools best achieve them.
Social Media Marketing – The Positives
Typically fans of social media marketing sing out about the following benefits:
- Relationships – A (potential) affinity with customers and brand loyalty
- Target Markets – No longer the preserve of 18-35 year olds, social media is increasingly used by all ages and demographics
- Viral Mouth of Word - Your offers and messages spread by other people
- Brand Personality – Created through your 'tone of voice' or writing style
- Customer Feedback – Business insights into your business via polls and surveys
- Low Cost – Profiles and pages on Facebook and Twitter are inexpensive.
At first glance, it all looks great, but you should also think about whether you need long-term relationships with customers (who may never visit New Zealand again), whether your target market is 'facebooking' or even English-speaking and whether your brand is an established (or needs to be an established) business asset. Before you commit yourself or your staff to creating and maintaining numerous avatars, find out whether social media marketing is really for you. Ask the following questions.
Social Media Marketing – The Negatives
- Relationships – Are you building relationships of value? Are your customers likely to be returning ones?
- Time Consuming – Do you have time to maintain your platforms adequately? Neglected and outdated posts can unintentionally create a negative impression about your business.
- Lack of Business Objective – Fans or followers are nice, but where is the money coming from and for what?
- 'Bad' Word Of Mouth – Are you happy to see negative comments posted? Do you have time to respond to each and every criticism?
- One Voice – Can your business create or write in a consistent voice? Are you happy that you or your staff can respond professsionally and creatively at all times?
- Low Cost – Is it inexpensive for your business to maintain these platforms when you allow for staff time, education and continual maintenance?
Many businesses may find that maintaining and optimising a website and/or blog as well as keeping up with the latest Google offerings is more than enough for them. If you do want to give Facebook, Twitter andYouTube a whirl, go ahead, but saying 'no' may just make for better business sense (for now).
New Zealand's Top Overseas Tourism Markets
If you want to improve business, then take a look at the statistics below to find out where tourism dollars are coming into New Zealand from (of particular interest is the booming market in China). The recently undertaken Asia Visitor Study suggests that NZ tourism operators making relatively simple changes to their service, food and communications would greatly enhance Asian visitors' experience of New Zealand including: less 'relaxed' customer service, a greater variety of Asian food on menus (particularly at breakfast) and greater use of translation in menus and signage. View the Asia Visitor Study for more insights.
Holiday Visitors to New Zealand |
||||||
|
Australia |
UK |
USA |
China |
Japan |
Germany |
Visitors Numbers (May 2011) |
66,720 |
3,100 |
4,840 |
5,620 |
1,360 |
1,060 |
Annual Visitor Numbers |
446,965 |
100,112 |
109,969 |
87,765 |
55658 |
44,677 |
Average Length of Stay |
12 days |
29 days |
14 days |
6 days |
11 days |
46 days |
Average Expenditure per Visit |
$1,600 |
$2,885 |
$2,611 |
$3,310 |
$3,706 |
$3,931 |
Source: Tourism New Zealand. NZD dollars quoted.
- Australia - Australia is our largest inbound tourism market, accounting for around half of all visitors. New Zealand has benefited from a high profile, good air access and a favourable exchange rate with visitor arrivals showing strong growth since April 2009.
- UK - More than 230,000 Brits visit New Zealand annually, making the UK market second only to Australia for visitor numbers and expenditure. However, travel to New Zealand was hit hard by the economic downturn in 2008/09, and the market has continued to decline.
- USA - The States is our third-largest international tourism market in terms of visitor arrivals and it is a market where there are real opportunities for growth in the long term.
- China - In 2008 China overtook Japan as New Zealand's fourth-largest visitor market. As the world's fastest-growing economy, China offers enormous opportunities for New Zealand tourism.
- Japan – Our fifth-largest international tourism market in terms of international visitor arrivals. However, arrivals from the market are expected to decline in the March - June period of 2011 as Japan continues to recover from its March earthquake and tsunami.
Top Destinations in the World As Voted by Travellers
TripAdvisor recently unveiled the winners of its 2011 Travellers' Choice Destination Awards, honouring the top destinations in the UK, Europe and the world. Travellers' Choice Destinations awards honour top travel spots worldwide based on millions of real and unbiased opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. Award winners were based on a combination of travellers' favorite places and overall destination popularity. View morea on the Top 25 Destinations in the World.
The top-listed New Zealand destination was Queenstown, which ranked #12. Attractions which also received (mostly) favourable mentions included: Onsen Hot Pools, Break One Clay Target Shooting, AJ Hackett Bungy, Shotover Canyon Swing, Wine Tastes, Gondola & Luge and Walter Peak High Country Farm.
It's worth encouraging your visitors to write a Trip Advisor review (especially if they've enjoyed their experience at your place). Reviews help to rate (and promote) hotels, holiday rentals, restaurants, attractions and destinations the world over.
The Top 10 Destinations in the World
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Sydney, Australia
- Machu Picchu, Peru
- Paris, France
- Rio de Janerio, Brazil
- New York City, USA
- Rome, Italy
- London, UK
- Barcelona, Spain
- Hong Kong, China
Top Tourism Site of the Month
This month's Top Tourism Site Award goes to:
Matahua Cottages (Miro & Karaka) offer a tranquil retreat on the shores of the Waimea Estuary and a base from which to explore the Nelson region. Visit their stylish-looking Web site that has been well designed for easy access to information with clear navigation and bold colours that grab your attention.
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.
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.)
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