Campaign woos Lions fans to return

The Department of Labour is launching an immigration marketing campaign on the back of the Lions tour to persuade skilled tourists to consider returning to New Zealand full-time.

The campaign uses the international language of road signs, directional messages and dramatic New Zealand scenery to attract the attention of potential migrants.

It also directs visitors to a new marketing website to help them explore their options for returning to New Zealand after they leave.

The department's communications and marketing director, Richard Ninness, said the campaign was launched to coincide with the influx of British tourists and media following the Lions rugby tour.

It focused on key points along the tourist route, starting at airports and including hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, car and ferry services, tourist information centres and tourist media, to build awareness of the opportunities for the right people to live and work in New Zealand.

Mr Ninness said tourism brought in a huge pool of skilled people every year.

"There's a large segment of the tourist market that overlaps with the skilled worker profile.

"These are people who have skills and experience and are already attracted to New Zealand. What we're doing is hitting these people with targeted messages while we've got their attention."

Mr Ninness said it was a cost-effective way of reaching people and a natural progression from marketing initiatives underway overseas, particularly in Britain.

About half the people who had gained residence under the skilled migrant category were from Britain.

Mr Ninness said the campaign was also shaped by the fact that more than 80 per cent of approved residence applicants in the 2003/04 year had been to New Zealand temporarily first. Those who had visited here before were likely to settle more easily.

English registered nurse Lynsey Sutton told the Herald she had decided to seek permanent residency in New Zealand after visiting the country two years ago. "I really liked it. It is a beautiful place."

Miss Sutton said she received plenty of work offers and found it easy to make a base.

"It is friendly and doesn't have the problems of the UK where it is grey and miserable."

Her travelling companion, Stuart Birch, also gained permanent residency. With a background in engineering, he now works for the Intellectual Property Office, where he assesses designs and patents.

Mr Birch, from Devon, said his father had urged him to visit New Zealand, "but I think he now regrets it as I've stayed".

He said he was most impressed with the diversity of the New Zealand landscape.

"The quality of life is huge. I can be snowboarding within four hours or sitting on a beach. It doesn't take long to get anywhere."

New arrivals

* Of 80,500 permanent and long-term arrivals last year, 9000 were from Britain.

www.nzopportunities.govt.nz