Marketing effort will benefit all NZ

21 January 2010

All of New Zealand will benefit from the new $10 million tourism marketing fund, Tourism Industry Association (TIA) Chief Executive Tim Cossar says.

Details of the allocation of the Government’s share of the funding were released by Prime Minister John Key today.

“We are operating in a very competitive international marketplace and we need to do all we can to ensure our voice is heard.  Joint venture marketing projects like this are the way of the future and the industry is keen to keep working with the government to maximise our marketing investment,” Mr Cossar says.

TIA is encouraging all of the tourism industry to work together to make the joint venture a success, saying it will be a benchmark for future joint venture efforts.

“This money will help attract visitors to New Zealand and, even more importantly, their foreign exchange.  International visitors spend about $25 million every day of the year and that money is spent throughout communities, from attractions, accommodation and transport through to restaurants and wineries, bars, cinemas, theatres, retail outlets, supermarkets and hairdressers,” Mr Cossar says.

“Those visitors then go home and spread the word about New Zealand and its products, further benefiting our export sectors.”

The joint venture fund will keep New Zealand prominent in the minds of international travellers as their home economies recover and they start to travel again, especially in our biggest market, Australia, he says.

For further information please contact:

Ann-Marie Johnson
Senior Communications Advisor
Tourism Industry Association (TIA)
Phone: 04 496 5001
Mobile: 027 600 4565
Email: ann-marie.johnson@tianz.org.nz