Economy Milks Clamour for Middle Earth
Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit series have proved to be as precious to New Zealand’s economy as any magical ring with millions flocking to the country for a glimpse of Middle…
Tag Archives: Tourism Industry
Auckland Ranked #3 in Global Quality of Living
Auckland has been ranked #3 in the 18th Mercer Quality of Life study. In the report New Zealand is the highest ranked English speaking country as well as the top country in the Pacific region. “New…
Things To Do In Greymouth
Take a look at what you can see and do in Greymouth, New Zealand. Greymouth is is located on the South Island’s west coast, The town sits along the…
5 Stunning South Island Must See’s
“When it comes to the most spectacular natural wonders of the world, New Zealand undoubtedly belongs to the world’s most stunning destinations”, according to Veru and Petra – two travellers’, who share their New…
Three Million Reasons to Celebrate Tourism’s Value to New Zealand
Over three million visitors have travelled to New Zealand in the year ending July 2015, according to data released by Statistics New Zealand. The 7.3 % per cent increase of visitor numbers is good news for…
New Zealand – Bucket List Destination: 6 Ways to Travel on a Budget
“The sweeping mountain vistas, stunning beaches, vibrant cities and hospitable locals make New Zealand a bucket list travel destination for many”, writes Claire Volkman for the Huffington Post. Getting to New Zealand and staying there…
New Zealand Tourism Continues Growing
New Zealand tourism forecasts released at the annual tourism industry conference TRENZ in Rotorua predict continuous growth for New Zealand tourism. Numbers of visitors are expected to increase from 2.9 million in 2014 to 3.8m…
Waitomo Adventure Centre: Lost World
If you feel like an adventure, why don’t you try the Waitomo Adventure centre. Abseil 100m into the Lost World Abyss followed by a dry caving adventure as you…
Summer in Queenstown
Find out all the possibilities in Queenstown during New Zealand’s beautiful summer. Enjoy plenty of adventure in the air, on the water or across the stunning landscapes or just…
Maori Culture Experience in New Zealand
Rotorua is recognized as the Maori cultural centre of New Zealand, and there are many reasons to visit, Mike Watt explains for the Epoch Times. “For well over 100 years an infusion of culture has…
One of the Most Gay-Friendly Places to Stay on Earth
New Zealand is one of the top three most gay-friendly travel destinations, according to Lonely Planet. In 1998, New Zealand was the first country to adopt the label of ‘Gay/Lesbian Friendly’ when referring to…
20 Facts About New Zealand
The Huffington Post has written a list of facts about New Zealand for tourists, featuring many things kiwis are proud to claim, from Baldwin Street to bungee jumping. Most of the facts on the list…
New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula Well Worth a Visit
“Bake in the sands of Hot Water beach, then take in the art, stunning views and craft beer of the Coromandel peninsula” says Will Macpherson in The Guardian’s Travel Guide. The Coromandel’s charms are no…
“Bilbo Baggins Slept Here” in New Zealand
“It’s dinner and a movie … set” reports Ashley Winchester of the New York Times, who describes the Lord of the Rings guided tour as “straight out of Middle Earth”. The Hobbiton Movie Set in…
American eyes Downunder
A foreigner’s perspective on home is valuable insight into aspects of our culture we often take for granted. The outsider’s view can also be funny. Read two recent adulatory articles about New Zealand in…
Beyonce: NZ Tourism Ambassador
New Zealand got unparalleled international exposure from the recent tour by Beyonce, arguably the biggest music star on the planet at the moment. Whether posing for an Instagram with a Kiwi fan, promotion of…
US Hills Are Alive to NZ Flora
“We call it the New Zealand dead look,” says horticultural manager, David Zuckerman, of Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum new garden, New Zealand Forests. As a marketing statement about the attractiveness of Kiwi flora, Zuckerman’s…
Emirates Team New Zealand Win Four of First Five Races
Emirates Team New Zealand is dominating in the America’s Cup finals, trouncing defending champion Oracle in four of the first five races. Oracle was so defeated after race five on Wednesday (NZT) that the…
New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth
Take a journey through Middle-earth with the cast of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
We Love Visitors
New Zealand, along with Iceland, has been judged the world’s friendliest nation for tourists, according to the “Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report” released by the World Economic Forum, which ranked 140…
What’s it Like in Paradise?
“Even this self-consciously egalitarian society, which was first to give women the vote in 1893, is not immune to social and economic inequality,” writes Michael White for the Guardian. “What’s it like in paradise…
Retro Ads Bank On Paradise
Five vintage New Zealand travel advertisements feature in Jaunted this week. Among them the ‘Fly TEAL’ ad, which “pushes the airline’s popular Coral Route, which once flew passengers to the tropical South Pacific Islands…
Unexpected Tourism Drawcard
The international publicity from recent eruptions at Tongariro’s Te Maari crater may actually be helpful, according to local tourism operators. Te Maari crater erupted for about five minutes last week, emitting a plume of…
Real and Unreal Worlds
“As the Wellington premiere of The Hobbit approaches, New Zealand’s picturesque landscapes are set to take centre stage once again,” Charles Anderson begins in a story for the International Herald Tribune. “Ten years ago,…
Off on a Dream Holiday
“In a nutshell,” this is why American Jennifer Thomas went to New Zealand: “I’m driving along some winding country road and a flock of sheep shamble up a hill and cover the road, blocking…
Reviewing Safety in a Major Export
“Adventure tourism is one of New Zealand’s biggest drawcards, but sometimes tourists can get far more adventure than they bargained for,” begins a report by Dominque Schwartz for ABC. “This week, the industry made…
Riding Roughshod
Tanks for Everything in Christchurch is offering frustrated drivers the chance to crush a car with a tank, armoured personnel carrier or Jeep, the largest of which can easily flatten a family sedan….
It’s Better Than Ever
The Bay of Plenty region has launched a new tourism campaign in an attempt to erase images of oiled beaches and dead wildlife from the minds of potential visitors, rebranding itself with the slogan…
Tolkien Tourism In Matamata
The Lord of the Rings franchise is partially responsible for a tourism windfall in New Zealand with global visitor numbers up 40 per cent since 2000. At least five official LOTR-themed tour companies are in operation….
Korean Influx Boosts Coffers
Auckland is projected to be the new hot destination for Koreans in the upcoming months with Korean Air increasing capacity on Auckland flights by 30 per cent, injecting a potential $10 million in to…
Swinging Over the Uprights
“You have to love a country that combines two of the greatest sports,” Universal Sports blogger Buzz McClain proclaims. “Rippon Vineyard and Winery is on Lake Wanaka in Central Otago; they make a gorgeous,…
World Cup Road Trip
“Ox and his mates are hitting the road to watch their beloved All Blacks play in the Rugby World Cup, making a trip they’ve been working on for months,” Nick Perry explains. “Shortages of…
Wellington Makes a Point
“Once a flyover city for tourists as they jetted between the thermal regions of the north and the cloud-scraping mountains of the south, or at best a pass-through destination for those taking the ferry…
For Explorers at Heart
New Zealand is the focus of CNN’s weekly Destination Adventure series “for the explorer at heart” featuring favourite regional foods, secrets from the locals and the best photos and stories from readers. Highly recommended…
Chinese Tourists Flock
The number of Chinese tourists visiting New Zealand rose 22 per cent year-on-year to 133, in the 12 months that ended 31 July. Associate Tourism Minister Jonathan Coleman said China is one of New…
Topping Life Lists
New Zealand features in Washington Post series ‘Going Our Way’ which this week describes the best way of working to see the sights of the country. Orlando traveller Dara Curran asked the newspaper for…
Surge of Visitors for World Cup
Despite a strong New Zealand dollar, international rugby fans haven’t been deterred from organising travel to New Zealand for this year’s Rugby World Cup. The most recent figures forecast 1, more visitors than previously…
Cheap and Cheerful
Auckland is the seventh-cheapest tourist-friendly city in the world, cheaper than Marrakesh in Morocco, rated eighth. The website Tripadvisor has launched TripIndex, which compares the cost of 5 tourist cities around the world. The…
HardTalk With John Key
BBC’s Stephen Sackur tackles PM John Key in London in a 25 minute interview for HardTalk (Part 1, Part 2). Positioning New Zealand as “very small” and “too small”, Sackur…
Limitless Adventure
“If hurling yourself off of a bridge is not your thing, then how about jumping out of a plane from 15, feet?” Malaysia Star reporter Wayne Johnson suggests. “You may, like me, be so…
Innovators named
Ryan Sanders of Christchurch-based Haka Tours, Rhythm and Vines’ Hamish Pinkham and Ben Knill of interactive online holiday planner Beek, have been named finalists in this year’s Pacific Asia Travel Association Young Tourism Entrepreneur…
Kanohi Ki Te Kanohi
Whale Watch Kaikoura has been named overall winner of the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2009. The Telegraph’s Mark Chipperfield travels to the seaside town to spot some southern cetaceans. Whale Watch Kaikoura is…
Gains from history
A Maori welcome onto a marae for visitors, a walking tour with Footprints Waipoua and the All Black performance of the haka are all examples of Maori reclaiming their heritage and promoting their culture…
Altered stories
“New Zealand remains a comfortably social democratic society, less dynamic but also less brash or polarised than Australia,” writes Guardian political blogger Michael White in a posting which looks at the reintegration of Chinese…
Islands Preserved
New Zealand tourism is as much reliant upon maintaining the highest environment standards and preserving the Maori concept of kaitiakitanga – guardianship of the land and the animals – as it is giving visitors…
Potential World Heritage Sites in NZ
UNESCO is considering three NZ locations as potential World Heritage Sites at the request of PM Helen Clark, who is also NZ’s Minister of Culture and Heritage. The Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Kerikeri Basin and…
Underwater Drawcard
Wellington is adding shipwreck diving to its list of harbour-side activities, with the scuttling of a decommissioned NZ Navy frigate off Tapa Te Rangu Island. The F69 frigate is currently moored at Taranaki Wharf and will be…
Forecast Fine With a Top of 9.6
The Ministry of Tourism predicts that foreign tourist spending in NZ will increase by as much as 52% in the next 7 years. Spending is forecast to rise to NZ$9.6 billion by 2011 from NZ$6.3 billion in…
Tourist Hot Spot Gets Edged
NZ’s Marine Tourism Holdings is the latest company to set up shop at Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, offering daily tours to a 45m pontoon based at Knuckle Reef. The pontoon, which houses an interpretive centre and a…
Lord of the Travel Agents
It is official: NZ is the most popular long-haul destination for Britons. From January to June, a record 228,000 British travelers visited – 8.9% more than in 2001. The Guardian puts the increase down…
Fellowship of the Rings?
Our neighbours across the Tasman have always thought of themselves as Big Brother, now they want to share toys: “anything which is good for Australia is good for New Zealand, and vice versa. Anyone…
Kiwi Metric Model
Well, hardly on the edge, but a Canadian tourist bicycling through New Zealand has managed to tear his eyes away from the scenery long enough to notice the benefits of the firm application of the metric…
