PM's 'royal TV tour' set to draw wealthy tourists

By CATHY ARONSON

About 70 million American viewers will be the first international audience to see Prime Minister Helen Clark jetboating, abseiling, ice-picking and tramping around New Zealand in the documentary The Royal Tour next month.

Tourism New Zealand premiered the documentary, which it said was fantastic international publicity, at a function in Auckland last night.

It follows Helen Clark and top travel correspondent Peter Greenberg on a five-day tiki tour through Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown, Christchurch, Waitomo Caves, Abel Tasman and Whakarewarewa.

But the Prime Minister received plenty of bad publicity in New Zealand when she started filming the documentary in April, just before the election.

National accused her of fronting the show for free publicity and using Government money.

Tourism NZ spent about $250,000 on accommodation and transport for the Prime Minister and the Discovery crew. The organisation has a $55 million promotional budget and spends about $2 million each year to bring about 400 international journalists to New Zealand.

Tourism Minister Mark Burton said the Discovery series would reach viewers who were affluent, independent travellers looking for a unique experience. "The spin-offs from this programme will have huge benefits for our tourism sector."

Tourism NZ pursued Greenberg for several years to get him to film New Zealand.

Greenberg is an Emmy award-winning writer and producer, the travel editor for NBC, chief correspondent for the Discovery Network and the Travel Channel and editor-at-large for National Geographic Traveller magazine.

The Royal Tour series has featured national leaders showing off their country to the world, including King Abdullah II of Jordan.

National MP John Carter yesterday took the chance to scoff at the series, which describes Helen Clark as New Zealand's head of state.

"For someone who's always been a staunch anti-royalist, it seems strange to now promote yourself overseas as the Queen of New Zealand. The last time I checked, Queen Elizabeth II was New Zealand's head of state."