October 31, 2008

Kia Ora !*FIRSTNAME*!,

TVC launch

DRTM’s newest television commercial, targeting baby boomers, launched on the New Zealand digital network last Sunday and will run for two weeks. The new commercial shows the same couple in the early 1970s, then mid 1980s and the present day with the tagline “Remember those special holidays in Rotorua? This spring relive the magic . . . the fun . . . the excitement . . . the romance . . .”Click here to see TVC » Interesting to note the latest Tourism Leading Indicator Monitors echoes DRTM’s own research showing we are right on the money as far as recognising baby boomers as one of our key target markets. Growth out of Australia is strongest in the 60s market while the flat and/or declining markets in the UK and US showing are only showing growth in the 60 plus age groups. As part of the campaign, DRTM has worked with online accommodation giant Wotif to integrate spring deal landing pages on both wotif.com and rotoruaNZ.com sites. 

Boomers boomed

DRTM’s Domestic and Events Co-ordinator Craig Hammond reports an excellent response from the public who came along to The 50+ Lifestyle Expo at the ABS Showgrounds in Auckland, October 10-12. Although the expo attracted smallish numbers (5750), Craig says from a destinational point of view he felt it was worthwhile. DRTM shared a booth with Lakeland Queen, QE Health and Accor. A 3-night Rotorua prize package for two was won by Aucklander David Roberts. It was the first time DRTM had had a presence at the expo. Craig will also represent the destination at the Big Boy Toys consumer show in Auckland in two weeks time, Nov 14-16. Partners from last year’s show, Agroventures, Raftabout and Zorb are returning along with Quadzone. The Distinction Hotel is helping out with a night’s accommodation to include in the prize package put up by the partners. The show attracted more than 50,000 attendees last year. Craig is pictured with the Rotorua partners from Accor, Lakeland Queen and QE Health at 50+ expo stand.   

Updating trade in Asia

DRTM’s new International Marketing Co-ordinator, James Fitzgerald, returned from almost three weeks (October 6-24) in Asia last Friday. Although the majority of those he met with are experiencing quiet times, he considers his marketing trip a success. James estimates he spoke with 350- 400 frontliners as well as product managers during visits to Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan and China. He says the ‘hot buttons’ among the destinational imagery he presented were golf, the Shweeb and MTN biking. DRTM’s new map also proved a great sales tool as those he spoke with were able to get a good feel for the district and see Rotorua not just a city full of attractions but with a myriad of accessible lakes and forests/bush within close proximity. James says particular interest came from those working with honeymoon, small group, nature and golf tours.

Sydney workshop

DRTM GM Don Gunn and Assistant GM Ruth McIntyre were among the representatives from all New Zealand’s major RTO’s in Sydney last week for a 2-day Tourism New Zealand workshop to review the What’s On campaign, plan marketing strategies and look at possible opportunities in Australia in the next few years. Guest speakers included some of TNZ’s key Australian partners including a media placement company, PR company and airlines. Ruth says all in all it was a positive experience, with Australia offering good potential for New Zealand in these uncertain economic times. She added that many industry players will be pleased to learn that TNZ plans to engage with trade in Australia once more. There will also be fewer if larger wholesalers around with a number of buy-outs, mergers and closures (including Go NZ in Perth).  

Hands up who loves Rotorua

One of DRTM’s range of popular destinational images – a young couple enjoying a sunrise at Lake Rotoma - was chosen to be among a select range of imagery at Auckland’s International Airport’s new $50m terminal pier opened by the Prime Minister on October 21. The photograph was commissioned by DRTM last spring and features Rotorua couple Rebecca and Caleb King. Apparently the architect wanted to show a range of stunning New Zealand imagery to remind passengers what this country is famous for. A 2.8m gateway (tomokanga) carved from swamp kauri and totara is also part of the decoration. The opening coincided with a promotional visit of a Qantas A380. The same photograph was also chosen to decorate the exterior of the revamped McDonalds in Fenton Street, Rotorua.

Cruise control

Cruise ships are a good source of business for Rotorua and DRTM is currently working on identifying some opportunities in this sector. The new season started last weekend with the Port of Tauranga expecting 58 ships to dock during the 2008/09 year. They will bring with them an estimated 76,251 passengers. The statistics suggest that 15% of all passengers who leave the ship on a shore excursion will come to Rotorua. The even better news is that Australia is a growth market in the cruise sector.  

 

Keeping up with demand

DRTM’s revamped Japanese and Chinese language DVD’s will be available by early next week. Email if you are promoting or travelling to these markets and wish to utilise a copy.

Slowing but gains still healthy

While unique users visits to rotoruaNZ.com were down in the past month (Sept 27–Oct 27) compared to the previous month, both pageviews and the time spent on the site continues to rise with a 12.88% increase in the average pageviews and a 16.81% increase in the average time spent on the site. Compared to the same time last year the increases are even healthier at 41.04% and 38.04% respectively.

Prime time

Tuesday was the busiest day of the week on the rotoruaNZ.com website in the past month (Sept 27–Oct 27) with 15.45% of traffic visiting on Tuesdays. The busiest time of day was between 2pm and 3pm - accounting for 6.42% of last month’s traffic. Visitors are obviously more relaxed on Sundays as they spend longer on the site and looked at more pages on Sundays than any other day of the week in the past month. Sunday visitors spent 8:36 minutes (compared to 7:38 minutes) looking at 8.87 pages (compared to 8.20 pages).

New collateral popular

Only loaded to rotoruaNZ.com last month, the new Rotorua map has been downloaded 159 times while the new MTB brochure has had 62 downloads.

Ooh la la, rotoruaNZ goes French

DRTM’s latest foreign language site, a French version, will be up and running by early next week. Like our other four stand-alone foreign language sites, www.rotoruaNZ.fr is a pared down version of the main site. The new site specifically targets French speakers in French Polynesia, Canada and mainland France.

Speaking their language 

Nicara Lodge has a new website which has German, French, and Dutch language options. They also link to rotoruaNZ’s Spanish site and plan to link to our new French site. Check it out at www.nicaralodge.com

Trans Tasman flights a step closer

The announcement last week that the Rotorua district Council has let the airport runway extension means that direct flights between Rotorua and Australia are a step closer – and could even start as early as next June. The RDC unanimously voted to let the $8.4 million Rotorua Airport extension contract to Fulton Hogan, which could see the airport ready for international flights from the eastern seaboard of Australia as early as June 2009. DRTM GM Don Gunn says regular direct air services from Australia will open up lucrative markets for Rotorua. “We’ll now be able to sell Rotorua’s vast range of accommodation and attractions, and join forces with neighbouring regions to expand the visitor experience using Rotorua as the hub,” he said. Once direct flight services are in place, Australians will be able to visit Rotorua for short stays. Rotorua’s profile in Australia will treble, giving DRTM the potential to attract new visitors to the region.

Well deserved appointment

Fantastic to hear of the appointment of Rotorua’s Deputy Mayor as Kaupapa Director for Tourism New Zealand. A strong and passionate advocate for kaupapa Maori, Trevor Maxwell is well known for his involvement in kapa haka over the years including Rotorua’s award-winning Ngati Rangiwewehi group. Trevor says although he has worked with TNZ previously on different projects, the approach was a bolt from the blue. “It’s a new position, so I view it as an honour and a privilege to be part of fostering a closer relationship (between TNZ and) Maori.” Trevor assisted TNZ with the official New Zealand welcome for the Lions rugby tour in 2005, the Maori Art Meets America launch in San Francisco the same year and also the America’s Cup welcome in Valencia in 2007.

Tourism a key portfolio

Was also great to hear National Party leader John Key is strongly in favour of taking on the tourism portfolio if National wins the upcoming general election. He told last Sunday’s TV1’s Agenda programme that tourism was potentially New Zealand’s largest export earner, and he has identified it as one of three key areas in which he wants to drive economic growth. “It’s a tremendously important portfolio; I think it’s about the branding of New Zealand and for New Zealand to really grow and expand in an area where we have a competitive advantage.”

Apply now for TRENZ

Exhibitor applications for TRENZ 2009 opened this week (October 29) and operators have until November 18 to apply. TRENZ 2009 will be held at the refurbished and extended ASB Showgrounds in Auckland between June 8 and 11 next year where all exhibitors will be under one roof. The Tourism Industry Association says they have some exciting innovations planned that will showcase New Zealand tourism in a new way. They say the focus will be on attracting quality buyers, achieving good exhibitor-buyer ratios and promoting new product to buyers and media. Visit www.trenz.co.nz to apply.

Happy birthday

The Kiwi Lumberjack Show is celebrating its first birthday in tourism this Sunday, November 2.  To mark the occasion there will be free Kiwi Lumberjack shows (at 11.30am, 1pm and 3pm), free access to the New Zealand Heritage Farm, a chance to feed the farm animals, wood chopping competitions (at 11am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm) and chainsaw carving. Lumberjack director Ben James says the day will also see the launch of their new ‘Logger of the Day’ product will give action seekers the opportunity to compete amongst themselves or against the Kiwi Lumberjack team in a range of logger sports  included axe throwing, crosscut sawing, wood chopping and log rolling. The open day will run from 10am to 4pm with a sausage sizzle and refreshments available. Gold coin donations will go to the Rotorua Axemen’s Club.

Ambassadors back for summer season

City Assist is back. Following on from a successful pilot trialed last summer City Assist will start up again next month thanks to an RDC initiative funded by the Crime Prevention Unit of the Ministry of Justice. While helping visitors with information like directions to the bus depot, the nearest public toilet or what time the banks close is the focus, the team also act as a type of Neighbourhood Watch. The service will see three people patrol the CBD including Kuirau Park, Central Mall, the Lakefront and Government Gardens on foot and by bicycle over the summer period as ‘mobile information centres’ as well as extra pairs of eyes and ears in regard to any concerns about community safety. Juanita Seymour, Community Safety Projects Officer for the Rotorua District Council, says the presence of the City Assist team in the CBD and surrounding reserves last year provided not only a visible service to visitors but helped to increase residents’ perception of safety. Resplendent in smart lime green and bluely purple uniforms, the City Assist members will be on patrol from November 24 this year through to April 3, 2009.

Pounamu sponsor 

Te Puia is to be a major sponsor of next year’s national kapa haka competitions, Te Matatini, being held in Tauranga, February 2009. Te Puia’s CEO, Te Taru White, says that in addition to supporting a national stage to showcase Maori performing arts, the festival also presents a “wonderful opportunity to support the growing pride and identity in Maori culture. With around a dozen of our staff performing in Te Arawa groups, it is an opportunity to celebrate our own people as well as to share the wider message of Te Puia as a leader in the training and development of young Maori in traditional arts, crafts and culture.”

Access scholarship funding

The Ministry of Tourism have opened applications for their annual tourism research scholarships. Masters students undertaking a thesis on a tourism-related research topic in the 2009 study year are invited to apply for one of five $15,000 sponsorships. The scholarships are designed to build research capacity in tourism, increase research applicable to the tourism industry and create stronger links between researchers, industry and the public sector. Applications close on November 21. Click here for more information

Mad about water sports

Well known local businessman Ross Powell is the man behind a new Rotorua tourism venture, Watermania. Like us, Ross reckons Rotorua has some of the most spectacular lakes in the world so he is keen to offer a new way for visitors to maximise their enjoyment of them. Catering to private or corporate clients, Watermania offers a luxury ski boat charter to experience watersports including water-skiing, wakeboarding, knee boarding, banana boat or water biscuit. Packages, including tuition, wetsuits, life jackets, equipment and pick up, available for lakes in the Rotorua district. Visit www.watermania.co.nz or contact for further information.

Official opening for spa resort

National leader John Key officially opened what is said to be New Zealand’s first contemporary cultural destination resort on Saturday, October 11. The launch of the new Wai Ora Lakeside Spa Resort, developed by Rotorua’s Tatou International, began with a dawn blessing by the chairman of the Tikitere Trust, Tai Eru, accompanied by local kaumatua Jim Gray. John Key said the spa provided another unique attraction for international visitors and would prove a drawcard for those travelling to the Rotorua region. We reported in last month’s DRTM newsletter that the $10m Wai Ora Spa Resort Hotel development was infused with Maori elements including beautifully detailed cultural touches, the ‘best of the best’ spa facilities using Wai Ora spa products and 60-seat Mokoia Restaurant specialising in spa cuisine and indigenous foods.

Initial walkway work to proceed

Hear the Department of Conservation is set to proceed with Stage 1 of the new Tarawera Trail walkway. Due to commence next year, Stage 1 will see a traverse from a (yet-to-be-constructed) carpark near the Buried Village to Te Ariki, finishing at the overland crossing between Lakes Tarawera and Rotomahana. Further consultation and land access issues have need to be resolved over the next couple of years before the second and third stages can proceed.

Tina steps up

Tina Hardy, previously Executive Assistant Manager for the Duxton Hotel Okawa Bay, has been appointed as the new Hotel Manager. She took over the running of the hotel from the former Rotorua and Auckland GM Richard de Graaf, who left the Duxton group last month to join Scenic Circle Hotels as their Area Manager West Coast based at Franz Josef.

China calls for Klaus

After three years in Rotorua Klaus Gottschalk is off to China. Area General Manager, Central North Island (New Zealand) for the Accor Hotel group based in Rotorua, Klaus leaves the Lakeside Novotel today, Friday, October 31, to take up a role in China effective from next week. Newly arrived Executive Assistant Manager, Adrian Sampson, will take on the acting role for the next few months. He was formerly EAM at the Novotel Capital in Wellington. 

Absorbing adventure 

Kelly Hemana, Zorb Rotorua Manager, has recently returned from an eight week secondment managing Zorb’s Smoky Mountains site in Tennessee, US. Now it’s the turn of Zorb Rotorua’s Duty Manager, Glenn Kelly. Glenn and wife Ele, formerly working for Imaginate Marketing and Communication, left Rotorua earlier this month to spend the US winter managing Zorb Smoky Mountains, returning to Rotorua early next year.

Off to garden city 

Mary Tolley, one of two Rotorua-based Account Managers for Tamaki Heritage Experiences, has been seconded to Christchurch for six months. She is providing maternity cover for the incumbent Account Manager (Mike and Karen Tamaki’s daughter Crystal) while she is on maternity leave following the birth of her first baby.

Changing of the (old) guard

Dede Riswantono has joined the Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua as Executive Chef to replace Bernhard Aigner. Sudima GM Harry Salisbury said it was hard to find someone to fill Bernard’s shoes following his astounding 21 year history at the hotel but they were lucky enough to find Dede working at a 5-star Auckland golf resort, the Formosa Country Club. He has experience at 5-star properties throughout the Pacific region including Carlton, Crowne Plaza and Sheraton properties.

Where there’s will there’s a way

Great to see Rotorua has a smart new women’s clothing store, Willow. Although the owner has taken a gamble by not opening in the CBD, the new premises are strategically situated next to the upmarket Urbano bistro and opposite Rydges Hotel.

We’re a ‘top town’

Rotorua made the finals of North and South magazine’s feature on the best place to live in New Zealand with an honourable mention along with Invercargill, Hamilton and Tauranga in the top town with a population over 40,000 category. The winner of the large Top Town was New Plymouth followed by Christchurch then Auckland and Wellington who tied for third place. The November 2008 issue of the magazine rates Waikanae as New Zealand’s best small town (population under 40,000) with Taupo the runner-up. Honourable mentions went to Whitianga, Raglan, Havelock North, Kaikoura and Wanaka. Fifty towns and cities underwent judging by North and South staff whose ‘Top Town’ criteria involved looking at everything from water quality and housing affordability to work and lifestyle opportunities.

Further acknowledgement for lodge

Rotorua’s Lake Okareka Lodge has been honoured as a finalist in the 2008 World Luxury Hotel Awards announced in South Africa earlier this month. The accolade is the result of nominations by lodge guests and travel agents from around the world.  Nominations were then voted on by a panel of 50 leading international tour operators and travel industry consultants. Winners and finalists were announced at the World Luxury Hotel Awards Gala Ceremony at Stellenbosch, South Africa on October 18. New Zealand Country Manager for lebua Diana Moore said “Being a finalist in the World Luxury Hotel Awards is a real honour for Rotorua and it adds another valuable endorsement to our marketing programmes, so we’re very proud of this latest recognition.” This is the third time this year the luxury lodge has received recognition in international awards. They won the title of Leading New Zealand Luxury Lodge in the 2008 World travel Awards and also made the Elite Traveler magazine’s prestigious list of the world’s 101 Top Resort and Hotel Suites. Pictured is the brand manager for lebua Hotels and Resorts (right), accepting the Lake Okareka Lodge finalist plaque.

NZ still highly favoured by UK

New Zealand has once again been voted a favourite destination by British travellers. Readers of the Guardian, the Observer and guardian.co.uk voted New Zealand their favourite long-haul holiday destination in the recent annual Reader’s Travel Awards. Announcing the accolade on October 15, Tourism Minister Damien O’Connor said the win reflected the effort New Zealand’s tourism industry had put into providing a world-class experience to international visitors. He added only by offering authentic and unique visitor experiences and delivering high-levels of customer service will the tourism industry be able to remain competitive and deliver on the goals set out in the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015. “Of note is that this win comes in the face of flattening visitor numbers from the UK, New Zealand’s second-largest tourist market. There were just under 290,000 visitors from the UK in the year to August 2008, down 4% on the previous year,” the minister said.

Aussies love us too

New Zealand was voted Country of the Year 2008 last month in a popular Australian travel show recently, adding to a number of awards received over the past year. The travel show Getaway recognised New Zealand for its diversity as a holiday destination, as well as its breathtaking scenery, abundant culture, gourmet food and wine and its endless choice of unique experiences. Tourism Minister Damien O’Connor said many of these attributes underpin our 100%Pure New Zealand image, which is world famous and so important to our reputation as a leading tourism destination. “It's great that our international visitors are recognising the diversity and uniqueness of New Zealand as a tourism destination. This award shows that our tourism industry is delivering a high-quality experience to visitors.”

Simply sustainable

With a slowdown in global tourism activity, now is the perfect time for business owners to invest their time in sustainability improvements. Many businesses find that such improvements immediately result in a more cost efficient entity and in the long term often result in improved customer satisfaction. Knowing where to start in sustainability can be a challenge, but a good first step is to download the Ministry of Tourism sustainability guide specific to your sector. A number of tourism businesses have already used these guides with good success and in some instances have become so confident in their commitment to sustainability they have gone on to secure government funding to assist in implementing actions with longer term sustainability payoffs. The Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter makes sustainability even simpler by noting in the assessment reports of its members a list of recommended improvements specific to that business. Most of those recommendations are also accompanied by contact details of suppliers and service providers that can assist the business in implementing the given recommendation. So if the cash register isn’t ringing as often as you would like, use the opportunity to improve business cost efficiency by investing time in improving your business sustainability. Click here to download the Ministry of Tourism Sustainability Guides. Want a more customised sustainability plan? Then check out what the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter can offer by visiting www.sustainableNZ.com or calling Gina George 349 7289. 

Doing their bit

A big tick to Michael and Jeanette Thorne, owners of Ngongotaha’s Waiteti Trout Stream Holiday Park, who have converted the holiday park’s hot water system to solar energy. The couple say they found it an easy decision to make as it is anticipated that the solar hot water system would reduce the holiday park’s water heating costs by up to 75%. Michael says “Even over the winter we found that the solar collectors contributed 55% of the energy to the water heating system, which was a great result”. Before the switch, the business’s power bills were in excess of $1500 per month with a coal burner that belched more than 3000kg of carbon dioxide annually.
The Thornes say they’d been evaluating renewable energy sources for some time and see the conversion as part of their commitment to environmental and economic sustainability.

Energy forum

Business people who have concerns about the reliability of their energy supply, how much energy their business is consuming and how much it’s costing them should attend the free Business Energy Forum on November 19. Being held Rotorua District Council’s Council Chambers from 5pm to 7pm, the energy forum will hear from Unison Networks, the gas industry, Total Utilities Management Group and Rotorua’s energy champion Kevin McGrath, of Power Solutions. To register visit www.energychampion.co.nz or phone 350 0196.

More sustainable info

Dr Ray Wills of the Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association (WASEA) will be giving a presentation to interested parties on the ‘Challenges, responsibilities and opportunities of achieving sustainability in business in a carbon economy’. Held in the Rimu Room at Scion next Wednesday (Nov 5) between 1.30 and 2.30pm, Ray will discuss how well current targets match the requirement to mitigate the effect of climate change, measures required to make a significant impact and how renewable energy, improved efficiencies and government legislation are critical for effective mitigation. Ray is CEO of WASEA, the peak body for the sustainable energy industry in Western Australia, as well as the principal of the sustainability consultancy Future Smart Strategies, an adjunct Senior Research Fellow with the School of Earth and Geographical Sciences at the University of Western Australia, and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy.

Out of hospital and over to courthouse

Long-time Tourism Rotorua Information Centre travel consultant Angela Tonkin (nee Kanara) who joined the staff at Lakeland Health earlier this year is to make a move to the courthouse next month. She is taking a on a court registrar role alongside former fellow TR staffer Dean Short.

EV updates

Events and Venues Event Manager Emily Pritchard has returned from maternity leave followed the birth of a son at the beginning of June. Emily is currently working two days a week. EV’s Community Programme and Events Co-ordinator Jessica (Jess) Morrison is now Jessica Nelson following her marriage to Guy Nelson last month. 

On yer bike mate

The 5th Hotel Ibis Bike the Lake round Lake Rotorua on November 9 is shaping up to be one of the biggest yet, says event organiser Phil Clode.  He said there were 850 signed up by the early bird deadline date (more than at the same time last year) but is expecting more to enter prior to race day.
About a dozen hotel staff from the Ibis, sponsors of the event, have entered again this year including some who have been involved every year. Jonathon Chemis, Executive Sous Chef of Hotel Ibis Rotorua and Novotel Rotorua Lakeside, says there is a great spirit amongst the staff and it gets quite competitive at times. “I’ll probably do it again next year too because it’s such a great event and there are some great prizes up for grabs.” The Hotel Ibis Rotorua has been naming rights sponsor of the event for the past five years.

Opening speedway meeting, a little racing and a lot of fireworks
Paradise Valley Raceway
November 1
www.rotoruaspeedway.co.nz

New Zealand Aria, New Zealand’s biggest classical singing competition
Rotorua Convention Centre
November 2
www.nzaria.org

Bike the Lake, scenic yet challenging around the lake cycle race
Starts outside the Ibis Hotel in Rangiuru Street
November 9
www.bikethelake.com

GLOBALfest, a living, breathing global village
Rotorua International Stadium
November 15
www.globalfest.co.nz

Rotorua to Ohope Fun Ride, 100km cycle ride
Starts Rotorua BMX Park in Te Ngae Road
November 16
www.cyclingrotorua.co.nz

International Trout Fishing Tournament, 3-day family trout fishing tournament,
HQ Arawa Park Racecourse
November 20-23
www.trouttournament.co.nz

TriNZ My Sport Series, suitable for novice to elite athletes
Blue Lake
November 23
www.triathlon.org.nz

For more information on these and other events, go to rotoruaNZ.com/events

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.

 

Jill Marshall
Communications Manager
Destination Rotorua Marketing
Private Bag 3007, Rotorua
Phone +64 7 349 7285
Fax +64 7 349 4133