The famous ‘filmscapes’ of Middle-earth which feature in Sir Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have played a number one role in boosting tourism to New Zealand, consistent with new figures.
A 10 per cent increase in international visitors from January through to April compared with a similar period last year shows the impact The Hobbit is having on increased motivation and arrivals, says Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler.
Survey results show 8.5 per cent of holiday makers cited The Hobbit as a reason behind their visit and 13 per cent took part in some sort of hobbit-themed tourism along with visiting a movie set.
100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand’s investment in marketing New Zealand’s association with The Hobbit Trilogy was paying off, said Bowler.
“Information gathered from three separate research sources is basically beginning to present a favorable picture for the rustic because of The Hobbit Trilogy and our 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign.
The results coincide with the discharge of the trailer for Film 2 – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – which features additional New Zealand landscapes and holds some surprises for fans, based on filmmakers. The movie will premiere in L. a. this coming December.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
When the primary instalment inside the trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey premiered in Wellington on 28 November last year, the eyes of the movie world were on New Zealand.
Around 100,000 fans turned out to peer the film stars walk the red carpet and greater than 200 international media covered the highly-anticipated event. Film one earned a bit over $1 billion on the box office. The DVD of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which included a distinct feature of the solid on location in New Zealand during filming, sold nearly one million copies in the course of the first week on sale.
Filming came about over 10 weeks in 40 locations throughout New Zealand for The Hobbit Trilogy and visitors can experience the truth of the locations through a great number of different experiences – from visiting the real film set of Hobbiton to canoeing down the river where the ‘dwarves in barrels’ scene was shot.
Middle-earth monitoring
Fan interest in Middle-earth have been monitored by Tourism New Zealand because the launch of the 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign in August 2012.
Tourism New Zealand questioned ‘Active Considerers’ in seven key markets and 82 per cent of these who responded said the center-earth campaign increased their interest in New Zealand, and 73 per cent stated it improved their opinions of recent Zealand.
As well because the 10% increase in overall visitors, holiday arrivals from the us, a key target audience for the center-earth campaign, were up 23 per cent at the same period last year, said Bowler.
“This increase in holiday arrivals perfectly coincides with the discharge of the 1st Hobbit film and an important increase in our efforts to advertise New Zealand as a vacation destination off the back of it.”
He said the target of Tourism New Zealand’s Middle-earth marketing was to present additional motivation and reason to transform potential travellers’ interest in New Zealand, into a real booking. “And it’s working!” says Bowler.
Spectacular landscapes and scenery
The most dominant reason to contemplate a trip to New Zealand remains “spectacular landscapes and scenery” which was referenced by 46.7 per cent of surveyed visitors. The Hobbit rates alongside ‘getting an awful lot on flights’ at 8.8 per cent, demonstrating the facility of the relationship between New Zealand and Middle Earth.
13.2 per cent of international visitors over January to March took in a Hobbit experience while in New Zealand, including group tours specifically visiting film sites or visiting the Hobbiton movie set.
Bowler says leveraging The Hobbit Trilogy continues to add heavily in Tourism New Zealand’s new three-year business plan with the continuing use of the 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign with significant events being planned for the international premieres of flicks two and 3.
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