Trip.com Group and Tourism New Zealand collaborate on marketing campaigns

Global online travel services provider, Trip.com Group, is collaborating with Tourism New Zealand to promote New Zealand as a key tourism destination in Asia Pacific.

Trip.com Group's Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances, Edison Chen, and Tourism New Zealand's Board Chairman, Jamie Tuuta, in the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote New Zealand as a key tourism destination in Asia Pacific.

As part of the collaboration, both parties will launch a series of joint marketing campaigns to attract tourists from Asia Pacific to New Zealand. The markets include the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Australia. This will involve the creation of appealing and attractive travel itineraries and experiences to meet specific visitor needs, positioning New Zealand as a destination of choice for travellers. 

This partnership marks the first Asia Pacific pan-regional collaboration for both sides.

Edison Chen, Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances, at Trip.com Group notes "with the reopening of China's border, we have seen a marked increase in outbound travel-related bookings and searches in the recent months. We look forward to collaborating with Tourism New Zealand to leverage our resources and deep data insights to boost New Zealand tourism development, fully optimising the travel experience for tourists in New Zealand.

"With the resurgence of international travel post-pandemic, this collaboration could not be better for both parties involved."

Data from Trip.com Group's Ctrip and Trip.com platforms show a keen interest in travel in Asia Pacific, including New Zealand.

Specifically, searches for flights to New Zealand have seen a significant increase of nearly 560% year-on-year, and the volume of bookings was up over 570% compared to the same period last year.

The Chinese mainland was the top source of arrivals to New Zealand in the first half of this year, followed by other key markets, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea, making the top 10 list.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive, René de Monchy adds "through the partnership, Tourism New Zealand aims to provide Asia Pacific travellers with more convenient booking methods, personalised itinerary planning, and comprehensive service support. We look forward to welcoming travellers to deeply explore the beautiful landscapes and unique culture of Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as experience our manaakitanga."

Image top: Edison Chen (right foreground) Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances of Trip.com Group, and Jamie Tuuta (left foreground) Board Chairman of Tourism New Zealand; image above: Edison Chen (left), Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances of Trip.com Group, and Hon Peeni Henare (right), Minister of Tourism New Zealand