Please distribute to all staff
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July 18, 2008
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Kia Ora !*FIRSTNAME*!,
Welcome to our new Domestic and Events Co-ordinator, Craig Hammond who started on Monday. His email is craig@rotoruanz.com and DDI 349 7288. He’ll be out and about familiarising himself with product over the next few weeks so be sure to take the time to introduce yourself and update him on your product. He started at a great time, we just received the May stats and month of May Rotorua domestic visitors were up 21.5% on last May. The highest growth of any region in NZ for that month!!!
I’ve just returned from a very interesting and enlightening visit to Australia. I met with key wholesale partners, Airlines and TNZ to determine the current situation as well as plan our marketing activity in Australia for the next 12 months, more on that in the Australian Update in this newsletter.
One other thing I’d just like to reinforce here is our need to promote New Zealand first, Rotorua second and our product third when it comes to offshore activity. Whilst appreciating that we all need to manage our marketing funds effectively, I think we also need to bear in mind that the destination marketing relies on your contribution to produce collateral and activity that allows comprehensive Rotorua promotion. For example when operators charge almost full price for famils it means we have less funds to bring more prospective sellers through. Whilst appreciating they may not go back to their office and specifically sell your product, if they have enjoyed their experience here, they will sell the destination and that in turn may sell your product. We have to get them here first!!
Haydn reminds me that the Rotorua Backpackers and Adventure Network Members Forum will be held on July 29 at 11.30am @ Whakarewarewa Thermal Village. For more information contact Haydn on haydn@rotoruaNZ.com
Kind regards
Ruth Crampton
Assistant General Manager
DDI 349 7280
In This Issue |
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Domestic Media Schedule 08/09 |
 We have just signed off the Domestic media schedule for 08/09 encompassing TV, online, print and billboard media. Planning the majority of our media schedule on a 12 month basis assists in avoiding the ongoing approach from advertisers. Our media placement agent evaluates all mediums based on our target brief and comes up with the best sites / publications to reach the target. This year our target is families (children 0 – 14), DINKS and Baby Boomers.
We would encourage industry marketing domestically to have a copy of the schedule, so you can see where we will be advertising at what time of the year and possibly plan your activity to complement the schedule so all our dollars spread further. For a copy of the schedule email ruth@rotoruanz.com.
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Destination Rotorua Forum |
The Destination Rotorua Industry Forum will be held on 23 July from 1 – 3pm at the Energy Events Centre.
This short forum is purely to introduce the marketing plan for the 08/09 period as well as recap on activity over the past few months. Jill Marshall will present on the new website, DVD and images and some stats on how Rotorua is shaping up on the visitor front and talk about current market conditions.
If you’d like to attend please email karlene@rotoruanz.com. |
Product Directory |
 It has become very apparent this year that all operators are reviewing their advertising spend and placements across all mediums. One thing we’ve noticed has been the decline in product advertising in the trade directory (distributed to IBOs and international trade). I believe there are a number of reasons for this so we’ve taken the step of evaluating the future of this publication.
As many of you will be aware GNZTR have now started producing a product manual for all regions located within GNZTR, including Rotorua. Many of you have been approached by GNZTR, ourselves and others for advertising and that this really increases your spend.
From next year we have determined that we will fully support he GNZTR product manual and encourage as many of our trade ready operators to advertise there as well as offering an online downloadable pdf version of our own product directory and web listings on both GNZTR and the rotoruanz.com. In a nutshell we will not produce a printed version of our Product Directory from early 2009.
We will be coming out to all those who have currently registered their intention to advertising in this year’s product directory with an update in the next week.
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Australian Update |
Ruth and Haydn were in Australia at the beginning of July undertaking frontline training and meetings with key marketing and product staff regarding planning our marketing activity for the coming 12 months.
Frontline training was undertaken in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth by Destination Rotorua Marketing, Agrodome, Tamaki and Hell’s Gate.
Marketing plans for the short term include an $80,000 spend on What’s On with Tourism NZ in Spring, a Spring tactical campaign with ANZCRO and a winter fly / drive flyer with a Sydney based wholesaler.
The Australian market is still seeing strong outbound growth to longhaul destinations as their dollar is buying well and fuel increases have not yet been applied to longhaul flights. Feeling from some of the trade we visited was that late 2008 may see a swing in travel patterns as fuel costs and economic conditions start to impact and destinations such as New Zealand may benefit.
Air NZ currently are running a strong ex pat promotion, asking ex pats to select their sweetest spot in New Zealand. Take a look at www.homesweetas.com.au to see how it works. There has certainly been growth in the visiting, friends and relatives market from Australia to New Zealand and they are working to target this segment.
After this Spring hit, we will hold off marketing until early 2009 when we are planning activities with a number of key trade partners |
C & I Update |
MEETINGS 2008 – Things are progressing along for the regions stand this year. Melissa is still working on the new images with Graeme Murray and will give a full update at the CSM Meeting at the Blue Baths on Friday the 18th July.
ROTORUA ROADSHOWS – AUCKLAND AND WELLINGTON
Work is continuing on this and an update will be given at the CSM Meeting this month.
AUSTRALIA EVENTS EXPO – Melissa attended this event in May along with the Christchurch and Taupo Bureaus. The response from those attending was very positive to NZ being present. The Bureau was looking at attending this event again, however as this show has now changed dates to coincide with RSVP and it appears that the date for 2009 will be the same dates as Meetings 09 this may not be possible.
MELBOURNE SALES CALLS – The feedback from the Melbourne Sales Calls has been very positive with many of the clients we met with unaware of the Rotorua Airport going Trans-tasman and was a great opportunity to update them on product.
FOCUS NZ EVENT – Melissa will be heading off to Sydney in the first week of August to represent the bureau at the Focus NZ Event.
DATABASE – In recent weeks over 500 new contacts have been added to the C&I Database over varying catergories.
Assistance Provided – There have been 2 destination proposals sent out in the past few weeks and 8 Conference assists. |
Agent Familiarisations |
Vanessa Freeman
GNZTR Famil
15th – 16th July
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Media Update |
Domestic media has been a focus for us recently, with famils from quality publications such as the Sunday Star Times and AA Directions. There are more to come over the next month, so any operators wanting to participate please contact Justine.
Three stories have so far run in the Daily Post as part of the local famil programme we initiated in April. Stories run monthly (at the Daily Post’s discretion) on a Thursday. Any operators wanting to be involved and not already registered should contact Justine.
As mentioned in the last newsletter, we will now feature story angles for media to download on our website. These will be updated monthly. Anyone wishing to have a story angle featured please contact Justine.
The new media results section on our website is now up and running. This is a private section available only to local operators. Please contact Justine for a user name and password to view this page.
TNZ is holding its annual RTO media workshop in Wellington this week and Justine and Ruth will be attending.
Remember, if you have any inquiries about media, or have a new product you’d like to see included in an itinerary or as editorial pitched to TNZ, please don’t hesitate to let Justine know. We can also work with operators to create media proposals if you have specific publications you’d like to target. Phone (07) 349 7286 or email justine@rotoruaNZ.com |
Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter |
 Qualmark’s new environmental criteria, known as Qualmark Green will be integrated into all Qualmark assessments from August 1st this year. All Qualmark assessments after this date will require Qualmark licensed operators to meet minimum standards within the new environmental criteria. The criteria assesses performance in areas such as energy efficiency, water conservation, greater use of recycling, waste reduction, improved fuel use and higher levels of involvement in local conservation and community activities.
Those operators scoring three or more out of five within the Responsible Tourism Operations criteria will be eligible to apply for Qualmark verification of their environmental performance. If successful they will be awarded Enviro-Bronze, Enviro-Silver or Enviro-Gold and authorised to use a new logo representing the given category to sit alongside their existing Qualmark star rating or endorsement.
The Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter Assessor has proven to be a valuable resource for many Charter members seeking standards based sustainability accreditation. Similarly, with Qualmark Green the Assessor is available to Charter members wanting to identify systems and suppliers that will result in top marks in the Responsible Tourism Operations criteria for their business.
To find out more about joining the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter visit www.sustainableNZ.com or call Gina George on 349 7289. |
NZ Tourism Strategy Sector Guides |
The Ministry of Tourism has released sector specific New Zealand tourism strategy guides that provide practical advice for how tourism operators can implement the recommendations of the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 in order to achieve a sustainable tourism industry - environmentally, economically, socially and culturally.
Click here >>> for links to the sector specific New Zealand tourism strategy guides for Accommodation, Transport, and Visitor activities and attractions. |
Visitor Activity Statistics |
The autumn school holidays typically fall entirely in April, but in 2008 ran through into the first few days of May. The change in timing of this event can possibly be attributed to the increased domestic visitor activity occurring in Rotorua for the month of May 2008.
• New Zealand International Visitor Arrivals (IVA) – May 08
International visitor arrivals to New Zealand for the month of May 2008 were down 0.2% over May 2007. Arrivals were up from China (up 8.8%) and Germany (up 0.7%). There were fewer arrivals from Australia (down 0.5%), UK (down 2.4%), USA (down 8.2%), Japan (down 4.6%) and Korea (down 0.4%).
• Rotorua Commercial Accommodation Monitor (CAM) – May 08
Visitor arrivals to Rotorua commercial accommodation providers for the month of May 2008 were up 11.7% over May 2007. Domestic visitor nights were up 21.5% and international visitor nights were down 17.6%, resulting in a 1.8% increase in visitor nights overall. Nationally, visitor nights spent in commercial accommodation for the same period increased 4.7%.
• Rotorua Attraction Monitor – May 08
Visits to Rotorua Attraction Monitor participant businesses for the month of May 2008 were up 3.6% over May 2007. For the same period domestic attraction visits were up 16.9% and international attraction visits were down 2.0%.
• Rotorua Convention Activity Survey – QE Mar 08
Multiple day conference delegate arrivals to Rotorua for the quarter ending March 2008 were down 23.1% over quarter ending March 2007. For the same period Association delegate arrivals were down 31.2% and Corporate delegate arrivals were down 12.0%.
Most of the tourism monitors are freely available by subscription and can be downloaded from rotoruaNZ.com.
For more information about Rotorua visitor statistics or to subscribe to any of the monitors please contact Gina on DDI (07) 349 7289 or gina@rotoruaNZ.com |
Events – August 2008 |
Creative Fibre 40th Birthday Exhibition
EXHIBITION PIECES USING WEAVING, SPINNING, KNITTING, CROCHET AND FELTING
 August 7-17
Venue: Rotorua Arts Village
BOP Steamers versus Counties Manukau Rugby
AIR NEW ZEALAND CUP GAME
Saturday, August 9
Venue: Rotorua International Stadium
Tough Guy and Gal Challenge
NZ’S MOST EXTREME OFF-ROAD RUNNING CHALLENGE
Saturday, August 16
Venue: Lakes Ranch SH 30
Highlander MTB Marathon
40KM OR KM MOUNTAIN BIKE RACES TO TEST YOUR ENDURANCE
 Saturday, August 23
Venue: Long Mile Road, Whakarewarewa Forest
75th Kurangaituku Netball Tournament
NZ’S LARGEST CLUB NETBALL TOURNAMENT
August 29-September 6
Venue: Westbrook Netball Complex, Malfroy Road
North Island Dog Show
PERFECTLY BEHAVED PETS ON DISPLAY
August 30-31
Venue: Rotorua International Stadium
For more information and to check out the latest events go to rotoruaNZ.com/events |
Dates for the diary |
Blue = Destination Rotorua Marketing participation
2008
23 July, Destination Rotorua Industry Forum, Rotorua
30 - 31 July, Meetings, Christchurch
1 – 3 August, NATAS Travel Fair, Singapore
4 - 5 August, Tourism Conference, Christchurch
3 - 8 August, Kiwilink Product Workshop, UK
12 – 14 August, Ecotourism NZ Conference, Greymouth
19 - 21 August, ITOC Conference, Queenstown
26 - 28 August, Kiwilink, Japan
4 – 7 September, Discovery World Travel Show, Bangkok
8 – 10 September, Maori Tourism Conference, Rotorua
13 - 15 October, Kiwilink Asia, Shanghai
15 October, C & I Showcase, Auckland
17 - 23 October, Frontline Training, Asia
31 October, C & I Showcase, Wellington
12 - 14 November, Big Boys Toys consumer show, Auckland
20 - 23 November, World Travel Mart, London
20 – 23 November, China International Travel Mart, Shanghai
8 - 11 December, International Luxury Travel Mart, France
2009
27 March - 5 April, Kiwilink USA, Vancouver & Los Angeles
8 - 11 June, TRENZ, Auckland |
Recipient and sender details |
We have collected your contact details. This information is collected to enable us to keep you up to date with tourism news pertinent to the Rotorua tourism market and keep you informed of the activities of the Destination Rotorua Marketing office. We will not disclose your contact details to third parties. |
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Ruth Crampton
Assistant General Manager
Destination Rotorua Marketing
Private Bag 3007, Rotorua
Phone +64 7 349 7280
Fax +64 7 349 4133
ruth@rotoruaNZ.com |
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