Six iconic New Zealand locations will soon be playable on Minecraft.
Six iconic New Zealand locations will soon be playable on Minecraft.
Tourism New Zealand has partnered with Minecraft to showcase six landmark destinations in the game.
The initiative aims to generate $50 million in visitor spend and equivalent advertising value.
Players can explore locations virtually, with activities promoting positive traveller behaviours and cultural respect.
Tourism New Zealand is getting creative in its bid to raise international visitor numbers to pre-Covid levels.
The Crown entity has unveiled a collaboration with Minecraft to bring six of New Zealand’s most landmark destinations to the popular online game.
The move comes ahead of next month’s release of The Minecraft Movie starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, which was filmed Down Under.
The content is free for users to download through the Minecraft Marketplace, and includes Waitomo Caves, Te Puia Village in Rotorua, Kāpiti Island, Abel Tasman National Park, Tekapō/Takapo and Patea/Doubtful Sound.
It is anticipated to generate $50 million in visitor spending this year, and the same amount in equivalent advertising value via media and social media exposure.
Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy called it an “innovative approach to destination marketing”.
He said it offers millions of Minecraft fans the “unique opportunity to virtually explore and create in a range of New Zealand locations”.
“Players can then bring their adventures to life by planning and booking their next holiday to Aotearoa,” de Monchy said.
The organisation believed there was a strong audience overlap, with 70 million Minecraft users seriously considering a trip to New Zealand.
Millions of Minecraft players will soon get to virtually explore Aotearoa.
The Kiwi spin on Minecraft begins with the player entering the game on a marae.
They are then welcomed by a mihi whakatau into a wharenui.
The wharenui was designed, named and gifted for the game by the carvers and designers at the New Zealand Māori Art and Crafts Institute at Te Puia.
Each location offers unique player activities which can be recreated in real life, like paddling a waka in Abel Tasman National Park or stargazing in Tekapo/Takapō, intending to provide potential tourists with a taste of what travelling around New Zealand would be like.
It also includes activities that promote positive traveller behaviour, developed in collaboration with Tiaki – Care for New Zealand.
The initiative aims to teach players how to travel around the country with care and respect.
The New Zealand Minecraft pack was developed by Piki Studios, alongside tourism operators and mana whenua from the featured regions.
De Monchy said it “stands as the most recent and comprehensive example of te ao Māori being woven into a computer game”.
Piki Studios chief business operator Whetu Paitai said working on the game had been “an incredible experience, filled with both excitement and responsibility”.
Although, he said it came “with its own set of unique challenges”.
“One of these was ensuring that the rich whāraki [interconnected tapestry of stories, traditions, and cultural heritage] of our land and people was accurately and respectfully represented.”
Paitai said it has worked with Mojang, the game developer behind Minecraft, “in a way that is very collaborative and respectful”.
“Māori game development is growing, but our whānau have to see models of that happening in front of them and this is what projects like this achieve.”
The filming of The Minecraft Movie was made possible through the country’s screen production rebates, which attract major global productions to New Zealand shores.
Warner Bros, the studio behind the production, was then able to access an additional incentive “uplift” from the New Zealand Film Commission, which enabled the unique marketing campaign.
The push from Tourism New Zealand will continue into April, as the film premieres.
De Monchy confirmed specific Minecraft itineraries have been developed, to help travel agents sell holidays for visitors to experience the highlighted locations in person.
“In-market activations will launch [...] to harness the buzz created by the movie.”
He noted the move also supports its overarching four-year strategy, by showcasing New Zealand as a year-round destination with activities that can be enjoyed, or played, in any season.
Blake Benny is a Christchurch-based reporter with a focus on tourism and social issues, along with general news. He joined Newstalk ZB in 2022, having previously studied Broadcast Journalism at the New Zealand Broadcasting School.
