The host of hit TV show The Amazing Race; Phil Keoghan is fronting a new Tourism New Zealand campaign aimed at encouraging Americans to take a cycling holiday in New Zealand. Thanks to the new partnership between Tourism New Zealand and Phil Keoghan, Americans will be inspired to explore New Zealand on two wheels. The campaign, which runs from 2 March to 31 May 2015, will appear online and in print.
The native New Zealander Phil Keoghan is an avid cyclist and has just completed a 5,400-km ride to retrace the route of the first English-speaking team (including one Kiwi rider) in the Tour de France, soon to be released as a feature-length documentary.
Andrew Fraser, Tourism New Zealand's Director of Marketing, says that securing Keoghan as the face of the campaign, which launched in the US today, is a real coup.
The campaign that went live today is Phil's first engagement and promotes New Zealand's diverse and breathtaking cycling landscapes and extensive trail network.
"Our research shows that there is a large section of the US market actively considering a cycling trip to New Zealand. With promotion from someone as popular as Phil Keoghan, we aim to motivate those dreaming of a cycling holiday in New Zealand to take the next step and make the booking," says Andrew.
The campaign, shot on Canterbury's Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail and the Queenstown Trail, will showcase New Zealand as the ideal destination for a cycling holiday. Both trails belong to the easily accessible New Zealand Cycle Trail Network, which has provided Tourism New Zealand with a platform from which to bring the country to life as an exciting cycling destination overseas.
"The breadth of the trail network - which spans the length of New Zealand - and the fact that cycle tourists often stay late into March aligns perfectly with our goal to grow shoulder season travel and wider regional spread of visitors," says Andrew.
There has been significant growth in US visitor numbers in recent years, thanks in part to the work undertaken to leverage off the incredible popularity of the Hobbit films. Now the Trilogy has come to an end, the move towards promotion of cycling and other special interest sectors there reflects Tourism New Zealand's shift in focus to capitalise on the attention the films have created for the US visitor market.
