Tourism NZ aims to wow Japan
tvnz.co.nz
Tourism New Zealand is launching the largest New Zealand promotional event ever staged in Japan to coincide with a $1.8 million campaign.
Aimed to give the Japanese a fresh take on what New Zealand has to offer, the New Zealand Paradise Week will promote New Zealand's food and wine, fashion, music and the most up to date activities for tourists from November 17-24.
"This event is an important part of the work that Tourism New Zealand is doing to try and turn round the Japanese market, which has been in decline in recent years," Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton said.
Hickton says Tourism New Zealand is trying to shift Japanese people's perception away from thinking of New Zealand as a place with a lot of sheep and beautiful scenery, to a vibrant, modern and sophisticated destination
Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor will open the event at a gala dinner featuring Hayley Westenra and a fashion show including fashion designers Nom D, Huffer, Cybele and Sabatini White.
unique part of the week will be the gifting of a taonga, a miniature double-hulled waka carved by Hokianga artist Will Ngakuru, by Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor on behalf of New Zealand to the Japanese government.
The Far North District Council and Te Hua o te Kawariki Trust have also agreed to work together to plant a native tree for every Japanese visitor who visits the reserve till the plot is full.
The week coincides with a new $1.8 million tourism campaign launching into the Japanese market.
Since the beginning of the campaign there has been a surge in interest in the Japanese version of newzealand.com with visits jumping from an average of 9,000 visits a week to over 80,000 last week.
