Come over Queenslanders, it's so much cooler

Tourism New Zealand has launched its first marketing campaign tailored to southern Queensland, the country's second-largest tourist market in Australia.

This market is believed to be brimming with "interactive travellers' - a coveted group that tends to spend more, stay longer and seek an authentic experience.

The $600,000 marketing push began this week with television, billboard, print and online adverts.

Chief executive George Hickton said the southern Queensland, or Brisbane, market was "growing quite quickly".

That trend is expected to continue. About 210,000 visitors from Brisbane came to New Zealand in 2005, an increase of 5 per cent on the year before.

"Brisbane is the second-largest catchment area. One of the issues we have going for us is there are good flight connections from Brisbane to major centres in New Zealand."

With the long, hot Australian summer behind them, the agency hopes Queenslanders are looking for holidays in slightly colder climates.

"We believe New Zealand at this particular time of year offers something completely different for someone who lives on the Gold Coast," said Hickton.

The campaign is being run with Air New Zealand, which is offering an autumn sale.

Last month, Tourism NZ increased marketing efforts in the key tourism markets of the United States, Japan and Britain.