Agoda capitalizes on the popularity of New Zealand through movies to offer special deals.
SINGAPORE – Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site, is celebrating the growing number of international travellers that are choosing New Zealand as their tour destination by offering special hotel deals in some of the world’s most picturesque locations.
New Zealand’s increasing visibility on the global tourism meter over the past few years has been driven by one thing above all others – movies. Indeed, until about ten years ago, it was still a rather mysterious country with a steady but unglamorous travel industry. But that all changed with the release with The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, which became a worldwide phenomenon and instant classic, ensuring the success of its two follow-up films The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Taken together, these three films earned nearly US$3 billion at the worldwide box office and won a total of 17 Academy Awards, including Best Picture for the final entry.
And people noticed. Not only did New Zealand see a surge of interest by fans who wanted to visit the locations where the movies were filmed, but also by other film companies who wanted to take advantage of the breathtaking variety of landscapes available – from thermal beaches on the Coromandel Peninsula to lush green farmland to the massive Fox Glacier. Soon after, major Hollywood films like The Last Samurai, Stealth, The Chronicles of Narnia, Avatar and X-Men Origins: Wolverine were staging some or all of their filming there.
Another less glamorous film-related boost was the various industries that sprang up to handle the sudden influx of business, most notably the establishment of Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, which provided most of the props and digital effects for Lord of the Rings, and were soon booked years in advance with work on productions from around the world.
As more and more films continue to use New Zealand as their production base, the majestic scenery on silver screens in cinemas around the globe is proving to be the perfect showcase for the country. And with the release of The Hobbit on December 14, New Zealand is again getting ready for an influx of film fans as business, government and tourism sectors go all out to welcome visitors.
Thankfully, film crews aren’t the only ones able to take advantage of New Zealand’s amazing scenery, and to help travelers see the best that the island nation has to offer, Agoda.com is then presenting fantastic deals on hotels close to some of the most popular locations. The deals can be checked on the website of the booking engine company.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
