Strategic Planning for International Tourism - Branding in New Zealand - Essay Example

Strategic Planning for International Tourism - Branding Introduction New Zealand is an island country, located about 1250 miles from Australia towards the south-west. The country is made up of two major land masses and several other smaller islands. The closest major neighboring country is, of course, Australia. The country is a major tourist attraction, especially for the visitors from the other hemisphere. Thus, this paper analyzes the tourism business in New Zealand. More particularly, the paper will focus on the tourism authority of New Zealand and the online tourism website; New Zealand Tourism Online (www.tourism.net.nz) and how the company promotes tourism attractions in their country. The current branding strategies will be looked into and other than the analysis, we will look into possible ways or practices that could improve the exposure of tourism in New Zealand and result in an even more successful approach. Destination New Zealand Currently, New Zealand is one of the top contenders among modern tourist attractions. With its beautiful landscapes, tourist attractions, rich cultures, numerous opportunities for adventures and of course, the Lord of The Rings films sites; New Zealand makes an ideal holiday getaway. (Tourism Information and Accommodation, 2008) With all this and more, anyone's time and money spent in New Zealand will definitely be worthwhile. New Zealand Tourism Online (NZTO) has taken a very user friendly and fun-filled approach towards promoting tourism in New Zealand. They offer a wide range of choices to any tourist depending on their interests, tastes, budget and objective. New Zealand is a place where anyone can have the time of their life, if you're a young kid or a retired corporate executive or a young couple deciding to lay back for a while, New Zealand has something for everyone. 1.1 Lord Of The Rings Lord of the Rings is a fantasy story written by the author J. R. R. Tolkien. Its movie adaptations have swept the international box office with multiple Academy Awards for the three films made so far; The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. It would be nothing new to the fans around the world that New Zealand is home to Lord of The Rings! The three films were shot at different locations in New Zealand. This makes New Zealand one of the hottest modern day tourist attractions, not only for the LOTR fans, but everyone can enjoy the story behind the locations and experience a piece of the amazing saga. 1.1.1 Middle Earth is New Zealand As mentioned earlier, New Zealand was home to the Lord of The Rings movie franchise. The set of Middle Earth was chosen to be the scenic landscapes of New Zealand. The person who chose to shoot the movie here, Peter Jackson, is also a native. The location for Hobbiton was chosen as the hilly area of Matamata, The famous Mt. Doom was actually the Mt Ruapehu. Other than that Queenstown was the used sets for locations such as the Pillars of Argonath and the Eregion Hills. (Lord of the Rings - New Zealand, 2007) New Zealand Tourism Online has made great use of this fame New Zealand has been accredited to. They offer a complete list and description for all the movie sites and ways to experience these locations to the fullest. Also they provide in depth description of the movie itself with images and graphics on the website along with further details. Branding for the Key Destinations' Products The tourism industry of New Zealand has been performing a good job with branding the top attractions and products New Zealand has to offer. The NZTO website features a 'Highlights' section in which they very main key attractions that New Zealand has to offer to tourists are described in detail. The features and attractions listed include: Skiing and snowboarding, New Zealand is one of the top ski holiday destinations in the world. The country offers a variety of locations and terrains for all kinds of snow sporting experiences, from snow boarding to skiing. Apart from that, New Zealand offers extensive training in these sports on location, with the help of trained professionals and equipment rentals. Top locations include Tukino, Mt Dobson, Manganui Ski Area, Porter Heights and Mt Robert among several others listed. (New Zealand Skiing and Snowboarding, 2007) Wine and Dining, New Zealand is home to a diverse range of restaurants and dining locations for all sorts of occasions, formal to casual. You can experience the best local cuisine and get a true taste of New Zealand or experience global food cultures with a range of Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Asian, American and European cuisine outlets. Apart from that New Zealand is also proud of its wineries that offer the finest wines. New Zealand experiences the perfect climate and has the perfect agricultural conditions, combined with a history of skill and experience to produce the most exquisite wines. Locations include Northland, Auckland, Nelson and Canterbury among many others. (WINE AND DINING NEW ZEALAND, 2007) Of course, there is the Middle Earth New Zealand which is a magnet to fans all over the world as well as people who are not too familiar with the story. Everyone can have a fun-filled experience as NZTO offers locations, travel packages and schedules that would enable tourists to have a great time reliving the famous Tolkien saga and take home some memorabilia as well! The company also offers activities and showcases the wilder side of New Zealand with a taste of adventure. Sky diving, bungee jumping, water skiing and other various sports are well known attractions in New Zealand. From the picture perfect sandy beaches with clear waters to the clear skies and cliffs, tourists have every opportunity to get their pulse racing! On the other extreme, New Zealand Tourism Online also showcases the serene landscapes and resorts where tourists can unwind from their hectic schedules and relax. The company has done a great job at truly capturing every aspect of tourism in New Zealand. (New Zealand Tourism and Accomodation, n.d.) The branding strategies currently used are pretty apt and are capable of doing a good job, which they undoubtedly are doing. The approach used truly captures all the different facets of the tourist attractions. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Strong approach, New Zealand has a lot to offer to the rest of the world and its difficult not to show it in a way that would attract crowds of tourists. The company/industry has adopted a very user friendly approach with good organization of all the attractions into valid categories. The theme used to promote tourism is energetic and colorful in every sense; it sets the mood for a good fun-filled vacation. The information provided by the tourism industry team and partners is detailed and helpful. Tourists and customers would not experience difficulty in comprehending the packages, locations, directions and the activities they can avail. The tourism websites by the industry's different companies, especially NZTO, feature related links and services that would be useful to customers, which is an added benefit. The branding strategy used and the approach will continue to prove to be beneficial for the New Zealand economy. Weakness: There are none, as such but improvement could be done in areas like: There may be too much information than what many tourists would like to have in front of them. Irrelevant information should be avoided to minimize possible user confusion. Other than that, the company's approach has no negative points and weaknesses that would be a significant issue. Opportunities: The company has a lot of opportunities to get hold on to. In order to spread awareness and advertisements, apart from the internet and online media, television and real life are good media to advertise in the form of commercials on TV and radio, kiosks ate funfairs, bus stations and airports, handing out flyers and stickers at events would really put the word out there. The boom of modern media is a great added opportunity for the company to promote tourism in their country. Threats: There are no such threats in this field as such, but a close eye should be kept on the competition to stay at the cutting edge. Current Strategy 3.1 New Zealand Tourism Strategy As of 7 November 2007, New Zealand has a new tourism Strategy, 2015. It is an updated version of the 2010 strategy introduced in 2001. The new strategy was launched by New Zealand's Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark. This strategy holds all the key aims and targets that New Zealand aims to achieve, which will lead to more success in the future. An update was necessary in order to keep up with global tourism standards and the 2015 document serves that purpose in a positive way. The document, like the one before, aims to improve business and reputation on the international stage, but with a more up to date approach. The Tourism Industry Association (TIA) of New Zealand, The Ministry of Tourism New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand have released the overview of the strategy which highlights the aims, visions and outcomes. (The New Zealand Tourism Strategy, n.d.) 3.1.1 Vision The vision of The New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 is: "In 2015, tourism is valued as the leading contributor to a sustainable New Zealand economy". (New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015, 2007) As we see, the vision is a straightforward statement which aims to make a strong impact on the economy, and that is what it should be like. With New Zealand's tourism booming, the locals clearly see the sector as the top contributor to the economy, and it certainly does have the potential. (Attractions, Activities and Adventure in New Zealand, 2007) 3.1.2 Values The tourism industry of New Zealand will focus on it's two core values, as stated in the strategy of 2015; "kaitiakitanga", which means guardianship and "manaakitanga", which means hospitality. The values are mentioned in their native language as to signify that the values will be implemented and practiced with their rich and historical culture in mind. This will give tourists a taste of the true local hospitality and guardianship. By adopting these values, the tourism industry of New Zealand aims to boost tourism, give the international visitors the time of their lives and at the same time, make a major positive impact on the country's economy by 2015. (New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015, 2007) 3.1.3 Outcomes The new tourism strategy for New Zealand has the following main outcomes: New Zealand will give its tourists a memorable time and a spectacular high standard experience. The tourism sector of New Zealand is ever growing and will continue to do so with additional investments and improvements. Not only does the tourism sector aim at improving New Zealand's economy and reputation on the international stage, but also improves and enhances the local environment. The tourism sector along with all other sectors works together as one for the betterment of the country. (New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015, 2007) 4.1 Recommendations New Zealand's current tourism strategy is an extremely effective one. They aim to boost tourism in the country to the extent that it makes the major contribution towards the country's economy. However, even though the strategy is efficient, straightforward and comprehendible, I would like make some recommendations: The tourism situation would improve if, along with the current approach, a more collaborative approach is taken with partnerships with international brands, promoting agencies, neighboring countries and hold events with the concept in mind. This will result in more exposure and wil promote god international relations and welcome more tourism. Sporting events and championships, musical and other art extravaganzas would attract tourists and making it an international event would only do more good. The government should invest in such opportunities as they would contribute greatly to the economy and international relations. 4.1.1 Culture New Zealand is a nation with its own rich culture, beautiful landscapes consisting of high mountains, plains, fields and scenic beaches. New Zealand features two main cultures; the Mori and Moriori. The Mori culture has experienced much more exposure recently and is becoming a renowned culture of New Zealand. Apart from these, there is another culture which has more British roots, and is known as Pkeh. As a whole, New Zealand features a great cultural experience with respect to tourism and can be experienced through numerous channels such as food, clothing, and way of life, sports, activities, music and art. The diverse local culture plays a big part in enhancing the tourism sector of New Zealand. 4.1.2 Arts New Zealand's artistic culture is mix of western and native art. Fine arts, visual arts, performing arts are all part of the distinct culture. New Zealand features many art museums, historic artistic sites and galleries that tourists can experience. Ancient and native visual art was mainly in the form of weavings and carvings. The art has an element of religion, culture, romance and is portrayed through legends, stories and paintings and other visual art. Performing arts include the famous 'kapa haka', which is a native dance/performance drama, music, writing and various religious practices. 4.1.3 People The population is mainly made up of European descent, since it is a British colony; Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the state and has appointed a Governor General. The earliest New Zealanders were pioneers with a strong will and determination, a quality which is not lost. Apart from the native population that had a historical and cultural past, as discussed earlier, New Zealanders are anything but lagging behind when it comes to advancements. The people of new Zealand have an adventurous attitude that helps them keep up with the world of today. From sports to food, New Zealanders are proud of themselves and share it with the rest of the world. (THE PEOPLE, 2007) Conclusion As a tourism attraction, New Zealand is up there with the best in the world. There is no doubt that the tourism sector has the potential to be the main contributor to the local economy. The country offers spectacular hosting to people from all over the world and with the country's rich culture, diverse opportunities for a world-class experience and a chance for everyone to haven amazing time. With the branding and promoting strategies, values, vision and objectives as defined in the strategy of 2015, New Zealand currently has and has kept on going with, is extremely effective and will continue to yield good results. There is always room for improvement and if done so, New Zealand will be the world's top tourist attraction. References 1. Attractions, Activities and Adventure in New Zealand (2007) New Zealand Tourism Online [Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 20 June 2008]. 2. THE PEOPLE (2007) New Zealand Tourism Online [Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 20 June 2008]. 3. LORD OF THE RINGS - NEW ZEALAND (2007) New Zealand Tourism Online [Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 20 June 2008]. 4. WINE AND DINING NEW ZEALAND (2007) New Zealand Tourism Online [Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 20 June 2008]. 5. NEW ZEALAND SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING (2007) New Zealand Tourism Online [Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 20 June 2008]. 6. New Zealand Tourism and Accommodation (n.d.) New Zealand Escape [Internet]. Available from: < http://www.nzescape.com/ > [Accessed 21 June 2008]. 7. Tourism Information and Accommodation (2008) Great New Zealand Directory Accommodation [Internet]. Available from: < http://www.greatnewzealand.co.nz/> [Accessed 21 June 2008]. 8. New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 (2007) Tourism Industry Association New Zealand [Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 21 June 2008]. 9. The New Zealand Tourism Strategy (n.d.) The Ministry of Tourism New Zealand [Internet]. Available from: < http://www.tourism.govt.nz/strategy/index.html > [Accessed 21 June 2008]. Read More