Think what you will about New Zealand’s The Bachelor; according to the ratings it’s a hit with many viewers across the country, and it recently took place in our own backyard. Now that the episodes have gone to air, Tourism Bay of Plenty can reveal the hard work that went into securing the four Bay of Plenty-based episodes which aired during the past two weeks, and the financial benefits that are yet to come.
Tuesday’s episode featured an excursion to White Island which the hopeful bachelorette described as “the best day of my life.” Tourism Bay of Plenty’s Marketing and Communications Manager Kristin Dunne says they had made a pitch to the show in December 2014 based around ‘money can’t buy’ experiences in the Bay of Plenty, and the show had delivered. “We put in a lot of work to put the pitch forward, and worked closely with our business and tourism operators throughout the process,” says Ms Dunne. “This was a great boost for the Bay of Plenty, and Whakatāne and White Island have raised their profiles significantly through this coverage.”
Whakatāne District Council Manager Business Services Roslyn Mortimer says the Council’s partnership with Tourism Bay of Plenty has strengthened over recent times, and the benefits are really starting to show. “In the past year, more than $90 million revenue has come from tourism in the Whakatāne District alone, with the Bay of Plenty region securing the sixth highest tourism revenue across the country,” says Ms Mortimer.
Local tourism operators Frontier Helicopters and White Island Tours were hugely influential in the success of the coverage and put in a lot of hard work to ensure the area was showcased in the best possible light.
White Island Tours Marketing Manager Patrick O’Sullivan says they have been working closely with Tourism Bay of Plenty, which has made an obvious effort to raise the profile of White Island, with figures to back it up. “Tourism Bay of Plenty’s ‘Attraction Monitor’, which tracks visitors to the top seven tourism destinations in the region including White Island, shows a 15.7% growth in visitors in the past year,” says Mr O’Sullivan. “We know we have one of the country’s, and perhaps one of the world’s most significant natural wonders in White Island, so it’s a thrill to see it showcased the way it has been.”
Frontier Helicopters owner/operators Anna and Mark Law say they spent about a half day out at White Island with two helicopters arranging scenic and talent shots for the episode, but planning for the day began back in December. “Our overall goal was to increase the profile of White Island as a premier destination,” says Mr Law. “Tourism Bay of Plenty have done a lot of work in promoting the White Island experience, and highlighted how accessible it really is. The drive from Tauranga will soon be less than an hour, and there’s a range of options for viewing the Island, depending on what people have to spend.”
Tourism Bay of Plenty is looking to capitalise on the heightened profile of the Bay of Plenty following the episodes of The Bachelor and have launched a ‘Plenty to Love’ campaign which offers deals and packages for attractions and businesses which featured on the show so people can recreate their own Bay of Plenty experiences.