Newsletter : January 2014
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide www.tourism.net.nz January 2014 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this January newsletter:
Record Arrivals to NZ in November 2013
Arrivals during November 2013 were up 8.2% for the month compared to November 2012 giving the tourism sector a strong lead into the summer season. The growth was driven by a continued recovery in long staying traditional markets, with arrivals from the USA up 28.4%, Canada up 27.6% and Germany up 23.7%; as well as our biggest visitor market Australia up 7.5% for the month. Arrivals across Asia showed strong growth during the month with Japan up 5.6%, Hong Kong up 18.5%, Korea up 3.4%, Singapore up 26.6% and Thailand up 50.8%.
For the year ending November total arrivals were up 5.3%, with holiday arrivals up 9.2%. Tourism New Zealand said, "The November numbers were inflated by more North Americans flying into Auckland to take cruises around New Zealand compared to last year - but even taking cruise passengers out, total arrivals from the USA and Canada were well up on last year.
We are hopeful of continued growth in the medium term from the North American market, following the release of the second movie in the Hobbit Trilogy and our continued work to build on the momentum we are seeing in awareness and preference for New Zealand with our 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign."
One Million Fans on Christmas Day
There was an impressive milestone and great Christmas gift for Tourism New Zealand on the 25th December when they received their one millionth like on their 100% Pure Facebook page.
TNZ's Director of Marketing Andrew Fraser says social media is now the key channel for the "word of mouth" style endorsement that is actively sought by potential travellers. "As a communication channel, social media continues to grow in significance with around 56% of visitors using Facebook.
Some 40% of all international visitors to New Zealand are using social media while in New Zealand and 45% of all our visitors are using social media to talk about their trip once they have returned home. This works out at around 1.2 million of our tourists sharing their trip to New Zealand on social media."
Take a look at the 100% Pure New Zealand Facebook page for inspiration!
How to Give Your Website Photography More Impact
Written by Steph Kendall
It goes without saying that any photograph on a website should make as much impact as possible and help 'sell' your brand or product, so how exactly do you go about making your website photography as strong as possible? One of the key ingredients has to be in choosing photographs that are all about your business and not just taken from a 'stock image library' that every other tourism business in New Zealand can also access.
Customising your Web Photography
Whether you commission a photographer or decide to take photographs yourself, here are a few things to bear in mind before you start.
- Brief - Whilst it's great to be able to capture 'candid' shots with whatever camera you've got in your pocket, the chances of getting a really impactful shot in that way are slim. Think about what pictures you want on your website before you waste time sorting through a library of rejects.
- Relevancy - Make the emotions, thoughts and feelings you are trying to convey through your photography relevant to your customer. Choose to feature people in your photographs from your target demographic and give your specific brand or product a prominent focus.
- Authenticity - It is quite common to see stock images of customer service representatives especially (e.g. attractive young woman with headset on) used on web pages. Using these pictures gives websites a lack of authenticity and misses an easy opportunity to establish a relationship with the customer. Using photographs of your actual employees creates a much stronger impact.
- Originality - Want people to experience a bit of the wow effect when they visit your website? Try to use photographs that make people stop for that fraction of a second longer – try making the angle, lighting, subject or composition unusual, 'arty' or edgy.
- Storytelling - Choose photos that look as if they genuinely tell a story, rather than ones that look posed and staged. Also think about:
- Are the people engaged in the moment?
- Is the image taken from a participant's perspective?
- Do the people and action look unposed?
- Is the lighting warm and natural?
- Do you get a sense of the location?
- Is there space to add a headline or call to action?
- DIY Tips - If you cannot afford a professional photographer, then go ahead and take your own photographs. They are still better than no photographs at all, and arguably, still better than generic stock photography. Here are a few quick pointers:
- Take action pictures, not just pictures of smiling groups of people
- Take pictures of real customers (with permission) and not 'stooges'
- Get close to your subject to get a better quality picture
- Make sure the lighting is adequate
- Use the 'rule of thirds' for your composition – don't always centre your subject
- Take more photos than you think you'll need – in that way you'll have more choice and a better chance of getting photos that create impact
- Improve your photos before you publish them – use easy and free photo editing programs like Google's Picasa
- Publish your photographs on your website, Facebook page, newsletters and so on, but try to use different photographs on each media.
10 Tips to Improve Business
Compiled by Steph Kendall
- Respond to every email within 24 hours to be considered as professional as possible.
- Translate your brochures and website into the languages of your key markets (China, Korea, Japan, etc.)
- Create informative and fun videos to promote your business on your website and social media websites.
- Provide various ways for customers to provide feedback to you, so that you can use comments to review and improve business practises (surveys, feedback forms, social media, guestbook, etc.)
- Make your property and/or attraction accessible to wheelchair users and disabled people – not only is accessible tourism a growing market, but you can meet and exceed your legal obligations.
- Use a bill ticket or customer receipt, to clearly state what your company's attitude towards tipping is – it is customary in the USA for example, for people working in hospitality and service industries to receive tips of up to 20% of the 'bill'.
- Update your website photographs with pictures that tell a story unique to your business.
- Make sure you have published your 'small print' on your website including: copyright, privacy policy, terms of use, cancellation policies, disclaimer and permissions.
- Upgrade your accommodation with simple and inexpensive décor and dressing ideas such as: fresh paint for the walls, ceilings and woodwork, new bath towels and bed linen in 'trendy' colours, freshly cut flowers, small coffee percolator and tea making accoutrements for guests' use, well-presented information pack, complimentary chocolates or small gift on arrival, etc.
- Keep your blog up-to-date – try to post news, comments or announcements onto your blog regularly – daily or weekly.
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 Encounter Kaikoura.
Encounter Kaikoura offers boat tours to view or swim with dusky dolphins and to watch the marine and birdlife (including albatross) off the coast of Kaikoura on the east coast of the South Island. Their website is well worth a visit, simply because it pulls together most, if not all, of the elements needed for a professional-looking, engaging, content-rich and successful website.
What you will notice:
- Clear and easy-to-read menus and easy-to-follow navigation paths
- Quality photography (not only of dolphins and albatross, but of clients and staff too giving the website a lovely warmth and 'happy vibe')
- Fantastic content presented in a very clear, spacious and clever design (i.e. you will notice important elements are 'above the fold' such as contact phone and email, online booking engine and location map)
- The home page presents great 'sticky' content – i.e. the sort of content you want to stay on the website to look at - such as social media (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor), photo galleries and special offers. Sub-pages have also been written very thoughtfully, the café page for example includes not only the 'sales pitch' (quality food and drink, free coffee, kiddies corner, free internet) but menus, photographs and bios of the staff. Brilliant!
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, 518 Colombo Street, Christchurch