New Zealand's Chance To Shine As 1.2 Billion Football Fans Eye Up Aotearoa

Wellington, New Zealand | Over 1.5 billion people are expected to watch FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia New Zealand

2023™ coverage when the games kick off in July. To capture the attention of fans in key tourism markets Tourism New Zealand has launched the most beautiful game of football the world has ever seen.

A full-sized temporary football pitch was sustainably constructed to host a local schoolgirls’ football match, refereed by Lindsey Robinson, set amongst the awe-inspiring backdrop of Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

“New Zealand’s iconic landscapes and scenery remain the key driver for potential visitors to choose New Zealand as their next holiday destination across all our key markets. This activity leverages the event to showcase our stunning home and hospitality,” says Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive, René de Monchy.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ is a significant opportunity to promote destination New Zealand to a major international audience, with 1.5 billion people expected to watch the matches.”

“Competition for international visitors is fierce and tourism is an important contributor to the country’s recovery, we need to work hard to entice high-quality visitors to New Zealand,” concludes Mr de Monchy.

The pitch was created in consultation with Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua and the Department of Conservation. It was created entirely by hand without the need for heavy machinery, using non-toxic and water durable paint, to ensure the pitch has minimal disruption to the landscape and left no trace once the filming was complete.

The content is supported by other video that showcases the breadth of New Zealand. It shows the journey of a girl and her football as she travels the length of New Zealand to reach the beautiful game. Locations in Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Gisborne, Taupō, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Mackenzie, Queenstown and Fiordland.

New Zealand will host 16 of the football teams from July 2023, including USA and Japan who are important tourism markets for New Zealand.

New Zealand and Australia are co-hosting the event from 20 July to 20 August 2023 across nine host cities – the four in New Zealand are Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin.

The Beautiful Game content was funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as part of its work to leverage the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ to create a lasting legacy for Aotearoa New Zealand.

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