KEY POINTS:
Wellington hopes a new marketing campaign will help it cash in on holidaymakers looking closer to home.
Positively Wellington Tourism last night began a new stage of its domestic campaign, inviting New Zealanders to "Spoil Yourself in Wellington".
The launch came as figures yesterday showed the number of New Zealanders leaving on short-term overseas trips dropped by 11 per cent last month from a year earlier, although this was partly due to school holiday timing.
Statistics New Zealand figures showed the number of departures fell 22,300 to 186,000 in June 2008.
That compared with a record monthly total of 208,300 in June 2007 and was only slightly down on the 187,800 departures in June 2006.
General manager of marketing at Positively Wellington Tourism, Sarah Meikle, said domestic visitors were increasingly important.
"At a time when the tourism industry faces challenges such as a slowing global economy and rising fuel costs, we want to ensure Wellington is top of the mind when New Zealanders are thinking about a short break."
New Zealanders make up the bulk of Wellington's visitor market, bringing in $557 million to the local economy each year.
In the mid-1990s, the city's average weekend occupancy in hotels was 30 to 40 per cent and was the worst performing hotel industry in the country.
Average weekend occupancy now stands at around 67 per cent, one of the best rates in the country, Positively Wellington says.
The new adverts cost $400,000 to create and are part of a $2 million campaign over the next year. A portion of this comes from private sector partnerships with Air New Zealand, Te Papa, and 22 Wellington hotels.
