Milford Sound Voted #1 Must Do Experience

Media Release: Saturday 10 February 2007

Mitre Peak and Milford Sound Voted #1 Must Do Experience for Kiwis

The AA’s 101 most popular New Zealand holiday experiences have been decided and Mitre Peak and Milford Sound have been voted the number one Must Do For Kiwis.

Mitre Peak and Milford Sound received a final ranking of nine out of ten following the AA’s five month domestic tourism campaign, which saw tens of thousands of Kiwis vote for their favourite New Zealand holiday experiences.

Mitre Peak and Milford Sound were closely followed by Doubtful Sound and the Bay of Islands as the number two and three Must Do’s For Kiwis. Doubtful Sound received a final ranking of 8.876 out of ten and the Bay of Islands was ranked 8.705 out of ten.

Peter Blackwell, General Manager of AA Tourism says “it is difficult to find the words to describe the grandeur and beauty of Mitre Peak and Milford Sound. It is truly one of our country’s most special locations and I am delighted it has been voted the top Must Do experience.”

“The final list shows New Zealand isn’t just about what’s famous and iconic. It’s fantastic to also see some of our country’s more unique experiences, such as White Island and Tutukaka / The Poor Knights, ranked in the top 20.”

Mr Blackwell says the AA was completely staggered by the public response to the 101 Must Do’s For Kiwis campaign.

“It has well and truly exceeded all our expectations, with over 7.7 million page impressions on the website and almost 200,000 votes cast online. Our research shows that 67 per cent of those who have seen the 101 campaign say it has increased their interest in visiting more destinations in New Zealand.

“When the AA launched the 101 domestic tourism campaign, our aim was to increase Kiwis’ awareness of the many different and enjoyable holiday experiences on offer throughout New Zealand.”

“The 101 campaign has stirred up national pride. Since September we have listened to people debate the merits of one experience over another; we have read newspaper stories by journalists touring their local 101 experiences; we have witnessed regional pride as many New Zealanders celebrated the inclusion of their local attractions in the 101 list, while others fiercely debated why they were left off!”

“There has been little investment or focus on domestic tourism for the past few decades, and the time was right to put the Kiwi holiday back on the map and back into the minds of New Zealanders.”

“The AA hopes the 101 Must Do’s For Kiwis will become an essential list of locations and activities for every New Zealander to experience during their lifetime,” says Blackwell.

101 Must Do’s For Kiwis is the largest domestic tourism initiative even undertaken in New Zealand. The $2 million campaign has included web, print, radio and TV advertising. Visitors to the AA Travel website, www.aatravel.co.nz, can still locate each of the 101 Must-Do’s using an interactive map, and continue to blog their experiences and upload their favourite holiday photos.

A seven-part New Zealand family travel show inspired by 101 Must-Do’s For Kiwis will be launched tonight on TV One at 7pm, Saturday, 10 February. Presented by Pio Terei and his family, viewers will witness some great Kiwi experiences.

Full results of the 101 Must Do’s For Kiwis voting will be available online at www.aatravel.co.nz

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