Tourism New Zealand has appointed a new representative in the UAE replacing Claire Willingham. Nicola Cunich will be representing this South Pacific nation and will be the contact for all consumer and trade enquiries.
The appointment confirms the importance of the UAE travel market. Over the past few years, New Zealand has been forging increasingly strong tourism links in the UAE, with 40 per cent annual growth reported in arrivals to New Zealand.
“This is an exciting time to be joining the Tourism New Zealand team,” Cunich said. “With increased daily flights to New Zealand and some great value fares on offer, New Zealand is becoming the hot new holiday destination for the UAE. New Zealand offers something really different for UAE holidaymakers this year, with spectacular natural scenery, excellent value for money and many family-friendly activities to choose from.”
Travelling to New Zealand is hassle-free – nationals of the UAE and many other countries are able to visit New Zealand for up to three months without obtaining a visa prior to arrival. An extensive tourism infrastructure makes it easy to get around, and there are accommodation options to suit any budget.
The long holiday time on offer in the GCC makes a trip to a long-haul destination such as New Zealand – only a few hours’ flight from Australia – an ideal place for an extended winter break.
While on Tourism New Zealand, it has also recently launched a new online travel planner, which is set to see New Zealand lead the way in online destination marketing. The ‘Travel Planner’ on www.newzealand.com is the first time that a National Tourism Organisation has given users of its website so much control over how to plan what to see and where to go.
“We asked customers what they wanted and we responded,”said George Hickton, Tourism New Zealand chief executive. “Travel planning tools have been the most commonly requested feature on the site. Our potential visitors say they want to be able to plan, to collect their information, and to look at where all that fits on a map. We have given them all that and a level of detail that we think they will be delighted with.”