Chinese New Zealanders to Discover Rotorua in a New Light

14 February, 2012

Chinese New Zealanders to Discover Rotorua in a New Light

Chinese New Zealanders will discover Rotorua in a whole new light with the launch of an itinerary competition today by Destination Rotorua Marketing, which aims to widen perceptions on what there is to do in the city.

Destination Rotorua Marketing (DRM) business development manager – Asia, Shelley Huang, says there are 200,000 Chinese residents living in New Zealand which is a good place to start educating the Chinese market.

“We want to help the large population of Auckland Chinese become aware that Rotorua is an activity playground on their doorstep just 2.5 hours away, which is suitable for multiple annual visits with friends and relatives visiting from Chinese-speaking countries.”

She says currently there is not enough up-to-date knowledge about what Rotorua has to offer.

"If we can educate and provide great experiences for the 200,000 Chinese living in New Zealand, the knowledge and passion they have about Rotorua will grow by two, three or four times as it is shared with family and friends.”

Huang says it is the first competition and media campaign from a regional tourism organisation to target Chinese New Zealanders.

The itinerary competition launched today called 3 + 2 Love Rotorua requires entrants to create a three day and two night itinerary including activities, accommodation and dining in Rotorua at www.rotoruanz.cn/3days2nights. A provided list of suggestions will inspire entrants and also educate them on the vast realm of things to do on a trip to the city.

There are four different itinerary categories which can be entered including: Family Fun, Luxury, Romance and Adventure, with winners announced on April 18. The two major prizes include two return tickets to China sponsored by China Southern Airlines and a mystery Rotorua holiday package.

Huang says 3 +2 Love Rotorua is a great opportunity for Rotorua to engage with the Chinese community, while also allowing them to lead the way in developing itineraries which meet the values and interests of the Chinese market.

“We’ll really get to understand where Chinese want to go and what they want to experience,” she says.

Opinion leaders from the Chinese community such as Wen Yang from Chinese United Press, key Asian inbound tour operators such as Jason Yu from Worldwide Holidays and major Asian media will judge the winning itineraries. Asian media are also involved including the biggest Chinese websites in New Zealand www.skykiwi.com and www.istar.com, popular Chinese radio station AM936, The Chinese Herald and The United Chinese Press as well as World TV Limited.

DRM general manager Oscar Nathan says the China market is key to the growth of tourism visitation in Rotorua.

“We have identified the domestic Chinese community and Visiting Family and Relatives (VFR) market as being extremely important to us achieving this goal and we welcome them with open arms.”

ENDS

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