KEY POINTS:
An AA initiative encouraging Kiwis to get out of the house and explore their country was launched today, with organisers hoping the weekend travel options will help boost domestic tourism.
Building on the success of last year's 101 Must-Do's For Kiwis campaign, the 101 Must-Do Weekends initiative aims to open people's eyes to the many local options for short breaks New Zealand offers.
"Regardless of what interests you - cuisine, adventure, family fun, indulgence, sport or culture - there is something for everyone, for every weekend," says Peter Blackwell, General Manager of AA Tourism.
"Too often we do nothing on the weekends - when we should be making the most of them. Let's get off our bums and use the weekends to rediscover our country."
Tourism organisations from around New Zealand have contributed to the Must-Do Weekends list.
Suggested activities include taking a scenic train trip, setting out to tramp one of the country's premier walking tracks, or unleashing your inner artist at a craft workshop.
Blackwell said last year's 101 Must-Do's For Kiwis campaign helped reverse a six-year decline in domestic tourism numbers.
According to Ministry of Tourism data released in January, New Zealand residents spent $1billion more on domestic travel in the year to September 2007 than they did in the previous 12 month period.
"Unfortunately, New Zealand's parochialism still continues to hurt us - it's time to forget the regional stereotypes and to use the weekends to discover what our country is really all about - not what we think or have been told it's like," says Blackwell.
People are being encouraged to log on to the AA travel website to share their best weekend travel stories and register for travel prizes.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
