Reality show gives 400m Chinese a taste of Kiwi

A Hobbiton scene from the hit Chinese reality show 'Dad, where are we going?'

Tourism New Zealand says it has scored a $170 million coup after more than 400 million viewers across China tuned in for the reality show "Dad, where are we going?" featuring almost four hours of celebrities travelling around this country.

The show follows five celebrity fathers and their children (aged from 3 to 8) to mystery destinations where they undertake challenges.

The final two episodes of season two were filmed in New Zealand including the all-important season finale.

In one episode the show's stars dressed as hobbits, wizards and elves while exploring Hobbiton movie set.

Stars of the hit Chinese show check out a hangi in Rotorua

While in Rotorua each celebrity family was hosted by a local family and visited local attractions including Te Puia where the fathers and children were dressed in piu pius with moko painted on their faces, and had the opportunity to learn the haka.

Two host families also took "their Dads" eeling.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler said the magnitude of the potential impact for the New Zealand tourism industry was hard to comprehend.

"This was an unmissable opportunity for us. The value of all the coverage achieved from this activity is estimated at NZD $169 million, were we to buy that same level of advertising - more than the entire year's budget for Tourism New Zealand," he said.

Since the episodes aired a marketing campaign has gone live in China promoting New Zealand as a holiday destination, featuring some of the experiences and regions visited by the celebrities.

Travel trade partners will sell official Dad, where are we going? itineraries and public relations activity is ongoing.

Bowler said that in a market like China the profile the show had given New Zealand as a family friendly, desirable visitor destination, was unprecedented. "All of this activity and continued promotion works to ensure destination New Zealand stays top of mind for viewers when considering their next holiday destination."

New Zealand was the first international destination to feature in the top rating show.

China is this country's second largest visitor market with over 180,000 holiday visitors welcomed into the country for the year ending in August, up 7 per cent on the same period last year.