Tourism NZ on Oscar bandwagon

By SIMON HENDERY

Tourism New Zealand has pumped up its United States advertising drive to take advantage of growing interest in this country.

Gregg Anderson, Tourism NZ's North American regional manager, said that as the Oscars drew nearer media coverage of the New Zealand finalists had translated into a strong association between New Zealand and the awards.

The Government tourism agency has booked full-page advertisements in the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times for the day after the awards ceremony to follow up from "what will hopefully be a big night", Anderson said. Its US budget for the year is $7 million.

It has also placed billboard advertisements in New York and Los Angeles and has put posters on 120 telephone kiosks in New York.

While Oscar-related interest in Whale Rider and The Lord of the Rings is behind the Los Angeles end of the campaign, in New York curiosity about New Zealand has also been piqued by the city's Asia Society Museum, which is running a programme called New Zealand and the Pacific Century until May.

All Tourism NZ's US advertising directs holidaymakers to the newzealand.com website, the $900,000 portal the Government bought last year to promote New Zealand tourism and trade.

North America is New Zealand's third-largest tourist market and US visitors are among the top spenders per visit when they travel here.