Kiwi Food and Drink a Selleout in Central Tokyo

Wednesday 6th December 2006

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kiwi Food and Drink a Selleout in Central Tokyo

The first ever New Zealand themed cafe © has opened in central Tokyo to a packed house.

The 'New Zealand Travel Cafe ©' opened late last week, and sold out of Kiwi Burgers in the first three hours of operation.

Located in the upmarket and central Tokyo district of Roppongi, the Tourism New Zealand/Air New Zealand venture aims to give potential Japanese visitors a taste of New Zealand.

"We need to raise the perceived value of visiting New Zealand in this market, and this cafe © will be a unique insight for Japanese into what it is New Zealand has to offer," says George Hickton, Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive. "The promotion of our landscape and nature remains the key draw card, but this alone is not enough."

He says the market is maturing rapidly, seeking more information, more authenticity, and more knowledge about our culture, food and wine. "The Travel Cafe © enables them to get a taste of all of this, and whets their appetite for more."

The New Zealand Travel Cafe © is a cafe © and bar serving predominantly New Zealand food and drink. It also acts as a showcase for New Zealand art and music. All staff are trained on New Zealand facts and figures, activities and attractions.

Air New Zealand General Manager Japan and Korea Chris Myers said the cafe © was an exciting addition to the Japanese market.

"It is a perfect venue to introduce our new Boeing 777 product and to convert potential customers into actual customers on the spot through our online bookings available at the cafe ©. It's also a great venue for meeting travel agents and partners.

The cafe © features prominent 100% PURE NEW ZEALAND branding, including screens playing Tourism New Zealand promotional videos, and a dedicated internet terminal fixed on newzealand.com

The cafe © also acts as a venue, and can be used for functions, events, and travel trade seminars.

"Arrivals from Japan to New Zealand have been declining over the last year," says Mr Hickton. We hope that this venture will help raise awareness of what New Zealand has to offer, and help entice visitors to think about our country as a holiday destination."

ENDS

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