![]() ![]() The greatest difficulty in selling New Zealand as a travel destination, however, may be clients’ perceptions about its distance from home. Whether clients want to experience an adventure tour, enjoy food and wine or simply “chill out and relax,” Tremain said that the country has something for everyone. “Predominantly, they want happy customers - and that’s what New Zealand can deliver for them.” “Travel agents want their customers to come back and say, ‘We had a fantastic time and want to do business with you and your travel agency again,’” Tremain said. Tremain, who owned a travel agency before getting into politics, said he knows the difficulties travel professionals have to go through. Last year’s holiday season brought around 10,000 visitors to the Hobbiton movie set near Matamata in the North Island, and the attraction is on track to welcoming a total of 250,000 visitors this year. Since the release of the first film, total tourist visits to New Zealand have increased by 10 percent, with travel from the U.S. The airline and the New Zealand government hope that these efforts, along with the premiere of the second installment in the trilogy, will continue to boost tourism brought about by the first film, which reinvigorated interest in the country much like “The Lord of the Rings” did. “The first (Hobbit-themed) Air New Zealand aircraft features various characters from ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ and is extremely impressive, but I think Smaug running the entire length of the aircraft is even more awe-inspiring.”įurthering its global marketing campaign, Air New Zealand recently released another Hobbit-themed video, “Just Another Day in Middle-earth,” which drives home its message that “Middle-earth is closer than you think.” “Seeing Smaug fly off the big screen and into the skies is pretty exciting,” Jackson said. “From its entertaining and engaging Hobbit-themed safety video, which has delighted millions of passengers and become a viral hit, to its remarkable plane wraps, Air New Zealand has added a completely new dimension to our marketing efforts for the films.”Īir New Zealand worked with the digital effects company behind the films, Weta Digital, to develop the graphic that would serve as the film’s “flying billboard.” Luxon likened the project to a wallpapering job - just one that took four days and 430 man-hours to complete. Air New Zealand has so completely embraced the spirit of the and what Peter Jackson has brought to life,” Rich said. “‘The Hobbit’ is the jewel in our crown, and we are very protective of our brand. The promotional alliance between Air New Zealand and Warner Brothers has also yielded benefits for the production company’s lucrative film franchise, Rich said. “If wanting to see and experience Middle-earth is a way you might come and visit us, then we fully encourage that." “What we’re trying to do is make sure we can get Americans to visit us as their next destination rather than just one of several that they’re considering,” Luxon said. ![]()
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