The West Coast of New Zealand is hoping to pique the interest of travellers with a new campaign, Pretty Great, Actually, and entice visitors to experience a West Coast adventure.
Patrick Dault, destination and tourism manager, Development West Coast (DWC) commented that the new campaign is in typical low-key West Coast fashion.
“It’s understated and smacks of subtle Coast humour, reflecting the people behind the place. In a highly complex and busy world saturated with noise, the West Coast provides calm and sanity that should resonate with potential visitors,” said Dault.
The campaign includes a series of quirky videos showcasing that the West Coast has “pretty great holidays for absolutely everyone”.
One video stated there are “loads of things to do or not”, showing someone relaxing on a hammock with the Paparoa National Park’s stunning limestone cliffs and nīkau palms in the background.
Dault shared how visitors can “explore New Zealand’s highest mountains, heli-hike on gigantic glaciers, jet boat into world-heritage wilderness or hunt for rare treasures deep underground, or not” on the West Coast.
He explained: “If an action-packed holiday isn’t your thing, or you’re an adventure seeker needing to slow down, there are plenty of other pretty great options in our untamed natural wilderness.
“You could just stay still and soak in natural hot pools, cosy up in cliff-top hideaways or retreat into luxury in a luscious rainforest.”
Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, the West Coast tourism industry was hit hard by the loss of global travellers, with international visitor spending down A$79.4 million (US$50.3 million) in 2021 compared to 2019, according to data from MarketView.
With the borders reopening, international visitors are returning and their spending on the West Coast during the month of September was up A$2.6 million from the same period in 2021.
Although this is still only 62 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Dault said it was “a positive sign”.
