Backpackers Urged to “Go All The Way”

Tourism New Zealand is targeting the youth and backpacker market with a new campaign urging them to “Go All The Way” … to New Zealand.

The campaign was launched today (Thursday) at New Zealand’s first-ever Backpacker Industry Conference held at AUT (Auckland University of Technology).

George Hickton said younger travellers and backpackers had continued to travel during the economic downturn, showing their resilience as a sector. This campaign was to ensure that New Zealand was on the list of places they wanted to visit.

“Many backpackers from the UK and Europe go as far as Australia in their gap-year, but we want to challenge them to complete the journey and ‘Go All The Way’ by coming down to New Zealand,’ Mr Hickton said.

According to the International Visitor Survey, New Zealand welcomed 183,100 backpackers – those defined as spending over 30 per cent of their stay in backpacker accommodation – in the year to June 2009, up 4 per cent. This compares with an overall decline in arrivals of 2.8 per cent to 2.4 million in the year to July.

Tourism New Zealand worked with Backpacker Industry Organisation NZBackpack.com and Youth Hostels Association to research the youth and backpacker market and to devise the new campaign.