While we at StopPress feel the understated approach to destination marketing, as seen in Flight of the Conchords, is the best fit for New Zealand, connecting the country with a fantastical epic and getting the actors involved to swoon over it also works pretty well, as this behind-the-scenes clip from The Hobbit films shows.
According to Tourism NZ's Active Considerer index, which monitors the opinions of travellers considering a trip to New Zealand, 82 percent of those surveyed in key markets said the links to the movie franchise and the 100% Middle-earth campaign increased their interest in New Zealand.
In the US, a key market for the campaign, 73 percent of respondents said the campaign improved their opinion of New Zealand.
Tourism NZ attributes a ten percent increase in visitor numbers during the January – April period to the campaign, with a 23 percent bump in US visitor numbers.
