Greens urge Kiwis to clean up following tourism campaign revamp

An image from the new tourism promotion campaign launched today by Tourism NZ.

The Green Party has urged New Zealanders to take action to clean up the environment following the revamp of Tourism New Zealand's advertising campaign.

The organisations's latest 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, which was launched today, shifts away from Middle Earth and focuses on more traditional scenic attractions in an effort to broaden New Zealand's tourist appeal.

But the Green Party said its clean green message was not reflected in New Zealand's environment. Greens tourism spokesman James Shaw said damage to the environment was ruining New Zealand's image.

"New Zealand's clean, green image is a major drawcard for tourists but the Government's inaction on the environment means we run the risk of irreparable damage to the tourism brand," he said.

"Sixty-six per cent of our rivers are too dirty to swim in and New Zealand has among the highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the world. Immediate action is needed to safeguard the clean, green image."

Mr Shaw said cleaning up the environment was essential to maintaining the tourism industry.

"100% Pure is an aspirational branding slogan, but without the genuine real-world action to back it up it risks backfiring on New Zealand."

The new $2 million-plus campaign will roll out in international tourism markets from July.