The Duke and Duchess of Sussex take a walk in the Redwood Forest in Rotorua. Photo / Stephen Parker
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex take a walk in the Redwood Forest in Rotorua. Photo / Stephen Parker
Last month's royal tour showcased the beauty of New Zealand to the world – and thanks to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, we may see an increase in tourism to our shores.
Figures provided by travel booking website Expedia showed a clear increase in search traffic from people around the world browsing online for New Zealand holiday destinations, following the areas visited by the royals on their tour of the region.
"The Royal Tour showcased the beauty of New Zealand to the world, putting the rich culture and lush landscapes on centre stage," said Kelly Cull, Head of Communications at Expedia.
"At Expedia, we saw an instant increase in searches from many countries as travellers jumped online and started researching their trip to New Zealand."
In particular, international searches for Rotorua during October 15 to 31 were much higher in comparison with the same time last year.
People in Thailand had an 85 per cent increase in searches for the geothermal hot spot, while those in the Netherlands were 80 per cent more interested than they were last year.
The royal party make their way out of Ohinemutu Marae during their visit to Rotorua. Photo / Alan Gibson
When Harry and Meghan visited Rotorua, they received a traditional Māori welcome from local iwi that left international media raving.
Sky News cameraman Adam Cole said the welcome gave him goosebumps and described it as "a hell of a way to end the tour", while Daily Mirror royal correspondent Russell Myers said it was "incredible to witness".
The royal couple were also given the opportunity to name two Kiwi chicks at the National Kiwi Hatchery at Rainbow Springs and visited Government Gardens and the Redwoods Treewalk.
It seems the glowing coverage captured the world's attention – there was also an increase in interest from those in the United States (40 per cent), Korea (35 per cent), Malaysia (35 per cent) and Singapore (20 per cent).
Our closest neighbours may also be heading over for more holidays across the ditch, particularly in the Abel Tasman National Park, where the Duke and Duchess learned about conservation efforts in the area.
There was a 45 per cent increase in Australians searching Expedia for holidays in the Tasman region, known for its golden beaches and native bush walks.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry battled rain in the normally sunny Abel Tasman National Park. Photo / Robert Kitchin
New Zealand as a whole also went up in searches – particularly from those in Finland, where searches increased by 115 per cent.
Increased searches were also seen in Taiwan (25 per cent), Indonesia (20 per cent), the US (15 per cent) and Ireland (15 per cent).
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to New Zealand is resulting in incredible exposure that will raise awareness of New Zealand as a destination," said Candice Johanson, Communications Manager at Tourism New Zealand.
"Around 80 international media were in New Zealand for the visit and the coverage and imagery from their reporting has put New Zealand on the world stage.
"This visibility helps to make New Zealand top of mind for people considering an international holiday and further encourage those already considering New Zealand to plan and book.
"Given Tourism New Zealand's focus on regional growth and off-peak travel, it was fantastic to see the trip take place in spring across a range of New Zealand regions."
In 2014, it was reported that the visit of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was equivalent to $68m in advertising.
