Germany's Next Top Model contestants were flown to New Zealand courtesy of Tourism NZ.
Germany's Next Top Model contestants were flown to New Zealand courtesy of Tourism NZ.
Five German aspiring models have been flown to New Zealand with the help of the Government's tourism department in a bit to boost visitor numbers.
The Germany's Next Top Model contestants spent three days in Auckland in January, visiting Waiheke Island, sailing a waka on Waitemata Harbour, jumping from the Sky Tower and taking part in various challenges and photo shoots.
The 120-minute New Zealand episode aired to an audience of more than 2.5 million people on German television last night.
The show was brought here under Tourism NZ's International Media Programme which also hosts around 230 international journalists annually in a bid to motivate travel to New Zealand.
The episode coincided with a social media and digital marketing campaign orchestrated by Tourism NZ to make the most of the exposure.
Tourism New Zealand corporate affairs general manager Deborah Gray said the department spent $25,000 funding the group's ground costs - including transportation, activities and accommodation - and the value of the coverage was valued at around $4 million.
"If Tourism New Zealand were to buy this coverage it would be at least this much."
Tourism New Zealand spokesman Gregg Anderson said it was a one-off opportunity to host the German show, as generally New Zealand's location was deemed too far away.
"This broadcast opportunity gave us a chance to continue to inspire and excite the market, and most importantly keep up the New Zealand conversation particularly following the success of The Hobbit leveraging."
Germany's Next Top Model contestants at the Sky Tower in February
Germany was a key visitor market, with more than 57,000 holidaying Germans visiting our shores for the year-end February - a 11.8 per cent increase on last year, Anderson said.
"When this opportunity was presented to us we jumped at it, knowing the reach a popular show like 'Germany's next Top model' provides us to showcase the destination - particularly to the youth market.
"With visitor arrivals on the increase, and average length of holiday stay at an amazing 47 days, the outlook in Germany is good," he said.
The German youth market had also grown 16 per cent in the past year, Anderson said.
Statistics New Zealand data out today showed that for the year ending February, national guest nights were up 5.3 per cent year-on-year.
"Most of the increase in February was from international guest nights," Stats Nz spokesman Neil Kelly said.
"Visitor numbers to New Zealand were boosted by the Chinese New Year and Cricket World Cup."
