How travel marketing outperforms destination‑only campaigns

Build it and they will come, is something that doesn’t work for products and doesn’t work for services or tourist attractions. You have to work hard so your customers can play hard.

I’ve led travel marketing initiatives in New Zealand since 2006, driving engagement and conversions for destinations, blogs, and rental companies. Here’s how I’ve done it.

Inspiring Kiwis to go overseas

It all started in 2006 with marketing and promoting overseas destinations for Kiwis on the OE (Overseas Experience). International Exchange Programs (IEP) provided a number of awesome OE programs for young Kiwis – often 18 to 25 year olds - from working on a ski field in Canada to going for the classic Kiwi OE in London.

Inspirational content and campaigns were the key elements in getting the word out. From online to offline, for example via presentations and story-telling events. But also via fun and activating radio commercials, which worked really well in 2006-2007.

A creative marketer, a great team at the radio stations and a good selection of stations led to inspiration campaigns like the ones below.

Emma wants to live in the UK for 2 years

Radio campaign to promote the UK working holiday program. Click play to listen to the ad.

Text of this radio campaign: "Emma doesn't want much.... "Just to live in the UK for two years without having to prove I've got 6,000 bucks in the bank. Can I do that?"

Can you do that? Hell yeah! With IEP, International Exchange Programmes, you only need $3,000 proof of funds and IEP can open a bank account for you in just one day. Do it on your own and it can take up to six weeks. Work and plan Britain with IEP. Check out workbritain.co.nz. Another awesome working holiday program by IEP."

Ryan wants an overseas working holiday with the mountains as his office

Radio campaign to promote the Work Canada program. Press play to hear the ad.

Ben wants a job in the USA surrounded by the best ski fields

Radio campaign to promote the Work USA program. Click start to play.

Text of this radio campaign: "Ben doesn't want much. "Just a job in the USA surrounded by the best ski fields. Can you hook me up?"

You bet! Work USA Unlimited by IEP. Work for Colorado Mountain Express for five months as a shuttle driver and ski on your days off. If you're over 21, you're sweet. There's no age limit. They tip well in the States, eh? Hell yeah! Get your job sorted before you go with IEP, International Exchange Programmes. Click on iep.co.nz. You'd be mad to miss this."

Inspiring Dutch and Belgian travellers to go to New Zealand

123NZ, the Dutch travel blog I founded in 2013, has become a go-to resource for Dutch-speaking travellers wanting to go on a working holiday in New Zealand. Throughout the years, the blog has pivoted into a New Zealand travel blog for all kinds of travellers, from backpackers on a working holiday trip to “regular” travellers coming to New Zealand as tourists. One thing has remained the same though, the blog has always been in the Dutch language and all content is based on my own experiences or that of people around me who I trust.

123NZ is the most personal travel blog focusing on New Zealand in the Netherlands and Belgium. It stands out from the crowd of blogs that just post the ‘X items you must see here or there’ or the ‘best road trip route for a 4 weeks trip’. My content offers personal experiences and actual tips & tricks, something our niche fan base really appreciates. This can be seen as several articles have over 100 comments, feedback, compliments and extra tips... And a content appreciation rate of 4+ stars (out of a total of 5 stars).

Inspiring everyone to go for a campervan road trip in New Zealand

And for a long time I have been working digital campaigns for campervan rental company Spaceships in New Zealand and Australia, where I am the residential digital geek. Challenges here have been to widen the popular season and shortening the low(er) season, which has been achieved by a solid joint-effort between sales and marketing.

Key elements have been education on one hand and a super easy to use booking engine on the other hand. Showing potential customers that a destination isn’t just beautiful in the popular summer season (high season) but just as beautiful – just in a different way – in other parts of the year, especially the autumn season. Something that other nationalities often forget as their autumn season revolves more around gloomy and rainy days.

Giving potential customers the power to tap into your data via an easy to use booking engine, is a valuable instrument in showing them the price differences between certain weeks, months or seasons. Almost everyone is like Jerry Maguire: SHOW ME THE MONEY! Something that makes it easier for them to shift there trip a few weeks forward or backward. And because customers can create their own quotes or bookings, you don’t need to have staff available 24/7 to get sales in. They do it themselves.

And for questions during the human down-time, the AI Service Team comes to the rescue. That way, the majority of the questions are being answered while the human team is enjoying a good night’s sleep.

Secrets to reaching the right people

Knowledge and data are key in reaching the right people as travel business. What are your potential customers like? When do they like to book: long in advance or more closer to their travel dates? Are they price sensitive? How long in advance do they start to window-shop and compare options?

A lot of questions that can be answered by looking at your data and public data that is available. And of course via inside information, like having team members from a particular country or talking to customers yourself (not just via a boring and standard survey that you send out).

Work hard so they can play hard

Travel marketing isn’t just about selling a destination, it’s about understanding your audience, leveraging data and creating experiences that turn window-shoppers into bookers.

We work hard, so they can play hard! Everyone working in travel & tourism knows this! We are the ones that make it possible that so many people from all over the world have an awesome experience in New Zealand.