Newsletter : August 2014
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide www.tourism.net.nz August 2014 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this August newsletter:
TripAdvisor Acquires Seller of Bookable Tours
Published in the blogosphere in the last couple of weeks was comment about what TripAdvisor's purchase of Viator for $200 million would mean for the tourism industry. Here's a quick summary:
- TripAdvisor – the world's largest travel site.
- Viator features more than 20,000 bookable tours and attractions and more than 600,000 reviews, photos, and videos submitted by travellers.
What does this partnership mean for the industry in terms of technology, marketing, and distribution?
Travel industry watchers suggest that this partnership may mean:
- As Viator's integrations with third party booking systems fits well into TripAdvisor's existing process, many more online sales may get made such as last minute bookings.
- TripAdvisor will use its brand power to get significantly more people to book tours and activities directly through their site.
- Viator distributes tours to consumers online and through mobile applications. This will fit in well with TripAdvisor's current offering.
- TripAdvisor may finally be able to offer native booking for activities on their mobile products.
For more information view, http://ir.tripadvisor.com/releases.cfm
More Cruise Ships to Visit Auckland
Auckland can expect a boost of millions to the economy with a record number of cruise ships arriving. New Zealand's cruise market has grown in the past five years and is set to be further buoyed by two operators increasing their visits.
P&O is doubling the number of cruises operating from Auckland over the next couple of years and extending its season. By 2016 20 cruises will be offered between February and June. Each turnaround cruise ship visit is estimated to deliver about $1 million to the local economy in passenger accommodation, dining, transport and shopping, as well as crew expenditure, supplies and port charges.
Princess Cruises – owned by the same company as P&O - says it will make 210 visits to North and South Island ports this year, with the number rising to 230 by next year. The company offers round-trip cruises to New Zealand on four ships sailing from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
The cruise industry contributed $310 million to New Zealand's economy in 2013, with $115.5 million going to Auckland.
Domestic Travellers' Holiday #1 is Wellington
The thought of hitting an Australian hot-spot to escape the winter chills tempts Kiwis more than any other holiday destination. According to a survey of over 11,000 New Zealanders aged 14 and above released by Roy Morgan Research, Queensland's Gold Coast and Brisbane topped the list of destinations Kiwis would most like to visit in the next two years.
Five overseas destinations were in New Zealanders' top 10, Queenstown was second and Wellington third. The Bay of Islands was fourth, followed by the United States.
But the places where Kiwis went for their holidays differed from their dream locations. Wellington was the number one holiday spot, followed by Auckland, Christchurch, Tauranga and Rotorua. As recently as 2009, Christchurch was New Zealanders' most visited holiday destination, but it has dropped to third place after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.
The Dos and Don'ts of Writing a Media Release
Edited by Steph Kendall
A media release is a document you send out to the media detailing anything that could be classified as 'news'. Journalists read your media release and if they find it interesting, they write an article about it. This gives your business FREE promotion which can also help to:
- Increase traffic to your website
- Build your brand
- Increase your credibility within the industry
- Improve your search engine rankings
So of course, it's a competitive field and you have to work hard to make sure it's your media release that grabs the attention of overworked and underpaid journalists? And remember, they can spot a blatant business plug and are after a good 'story' – you only have to provide the idea, as they'll rewrite the text you provide into the story they want. Here are a few Dos and Don'ts to get you started.
What to Do
- Use a 12-point font in the main text
- Use a simple font (e.g. Verdana)
- Write succinctly
- Use interesting quotes
- Write 10 July 2011
- Check your grammar and spelling
- Limit the length to only one A4 sheet
- Keep your target market in mind
- Talk directly to your target market
- Be creative and controversial, but remain truthful
- Send your release in 'word' format
- Have photos available
- Write in the present tense
- Bear in mind the actual media source you are addressing
- Explain and summarise the who, what, where, why, when in the opening paragraph
What NOT to Do
- Use multiple font sizes in the main text
- Mix your fonts
- Have long paragraphs and sentences
- Make up quotes and facts
- Write 10th of July 2011
- Misspell the name of journalists
- Have narrow margins
- Write generally
- Talk to the journalist
- Include misleading or deceptive information
- Send your release in PDF format
- Provide poor quality photos
- Write in past tense unless the topic is about an event that occurred
- Send the same media release to all journalists
- Mention your business name
- Write a compelling heading (turn to Google to find some ideas)
- It's the first one or two paragraphs must contain the most valuable information
- Supporting facts come in the body of the release
- Extra details come last
10 Tips to Improve Business
Compiled by Steph Kendall
If you can persuade a coach tour operator to stop at your establishment, you may be looking at a great way of generating repeat business from previously untapped sources. However, you may have to be persistent and appreciate that attracting their interest may take some time. Here are a few tips on how to encourage coach operators to share their business:
- Send coach operators an introductory letter, brochure and invitation to visit your business
- If you can offer to host a lunch or overnight stay
- After your initial contact, keep in touch with them
- Ensure you offer a quality product
- Demonstrate your commitment to customer service (think about catering for non-English speakers and other cultural needs)
- Ensure that your offer meets the requirements of the specific coach tour operator you are approaching
- Make it easy for drivers to drop off and pick up passengers, move their coach and to park
- Woo the drivers – make them feel welcome
- Stick to the rates and program you have negotiated
- Accept that passenger numbers may be initially lower than expected and be prepared to take the time to build 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 Stray Travel.
This website targets its youthful market brilliantly through the choice of big, bold design, high quality photographs featuring younger travellers having a great time, highly appealing – and original - button names (e.g. Social Lounge – for social media and interactive pages), prominent placement of: products (tours) video, specials, tweets, testimonials, enticing copy (e.g. "find out what really happened when Jack and Jill went up the hill…"), translation links and easy to use search.
The website does not assume prior knowledge of New Zealand and makes it really easy for web visitors to choose one of their products on the back of two key considerations – where do you want to go and how long have you got. The answers are clearly and graphically illustrated. One look at the video should help most travellers decide they want a Stray experience too. Great music and great videography packed full of unique Kiwi activities. This website is simply great, great, great.
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