'Pure NZ' campaign praised

Tourism New Zealand's 100 percent Pure campaign has won international plaudits.

Time magazine has said the campaign is a prime example of good national branding and a United Nations agency said the campaign had boosted exports and tourism.

Tourism NZ said the UN's World Intellectual Property Organisation had been helping developing countries around the world to brand themselves and their products.

The UN body said New Zealand was a prime example of a country creating strong and positive consumer associations. The campaign, cultivating an image of quality and freshness with the "100 percent Pure New Zealand" slogan was frequently cited as a case study for international marketers.

George Hickton, Tourism NZ's chief executive, said New Zealand was a small player in the tourism world and it was vital to have a strong brand to make an impact.

"Getting independent, unprompted endorsement of the 100 percent Pure campaign, like the comments from Time magazine, is a great reflection of the effectiveness of the campaign in raising awareness of New Zealand as a tourism destination," he said.

Tourist numbers rose by 11.2 per cent last year but the amount of money they spent dropped.

The Ministry of Tourism said last month that the latest international visitor survey showed tourists spent $6.3 billion last year - down 1.3 per cent from the previous year.

On average, last year's spending worked out at $2929 for each tourist.

- NZPA