New website to inspire visitors

Last week we launched our new Hauraki Coromandel website after months of technical development, layout building and content creation/migration.  It is a big undertaking for our team, being the primary regional marketing asset, our single greatest investment of resources and the platform to deliver all our marketing activity, including the upcoming summer campaign.  Let us know what you think!

www.thecoromandel.com is the official visitor website for Hauraki Coromandel and its primary function is to provide a qualified source of information for visitors.  Digital visitors to the site will discover more about our region, we aim to inspire them to visit and to provide a simple way of locating accommodation and things to do to book and plan a trip.

Why list your business or event?

Most businesses have websites of their own, but the trick is getting traffic to your site. That's why we need to collaborate. A listing on www.thecoromandel.com provides a direct link to your website so the visitor can get right to the source and transact.  We don't make sales on our site, rather refer as efficiently as possible. With so many regional websites vying for attention in a very competitive digital space, the curation of rich content, state of the art functionality and marketing spend behind the site provides visibility and cut-through that individual sites cannot achieve on their own without considerable cost.  It is for this reason, to harness collective digital might, that we also link to the Tourism New Zealand website and recommend eligible businesses do so too.

Make sure your business is included

For those who have listed products and services on www.newzealand.com your listing comes through to us via an API feed so no further update is needed.  But you do need to check your listing regularly on www.newzealand.com for seasonal offers, packages and current prices and services. We do suggest you find your listing on our new site by navigating around and make sure it appears where you expect.

If you have a restaurant or cafe, you can contact Megan and we will make a listing from content you provide.  Event organisers can still upload events directly: https://thecoromandel.com/list-your-business-or-event/

Tell your story

A feature of the new site is stories from local guides.  This is where you can engage potential customers by telling a deeper story behind your business, the experiences you offer and share something that might encourage visitors to find out more (and book with you).  If you'd like to write a story, we'll be happy to consider sharing it, and if you'd like us to write one, please get in touch.  Yes, our webmaster Megan curates all the content for brand alignment and reserves the right to edit, but there is room for many voices and styles.  And great images need few words.

Summer Campaign

We have approved the creative and we are finalising the execution plan with our agency DDB,  with a heavy focus on media partnerships to augment our budget. A key element is your ability to leverage this activity (the single largest ever regional campaign) to promote your services, and boost the reach of the campaign by working together.  The campaign will be under way by Labour Weekend, and we will let you know soon how you can participate.

Development of visitor app for summer and beyond

As we are all starkly aware, changes in travel options and way-finding is an ongoing issue for visitors to our region and some locals. To help address this we are building the first regional app that will help visitors see in real time how easy it is to get here and around.  By also showcasing the huge range of engaging way-points and experiences we can help visitors plan their trip and build excitement for a holiday in Hauraki Coromandel.  Further down the track the app will allow visitors to connect more deeply with businesses and the work being done to preserve and protect our nature and wild species.

Showcase the great food in your town

As part of our marketing activity we are investing in promotion of Hauraki Coromandel foodie offerings with The Feed, which will also include their new Taste Trails, app and web-based stories and information.  There's going to be some inter-regional competition no doubt, and for starters the editorial team are investigating where to find the best fish n chips, the most delectable custard squares and the best venues for a pre-dinner drink.

We swiftly made some recommendations to the team who visited our region recently (they'll be back) but do let us know if your customers rank you for any of these particularly. It would be great to see some more in-depth stories from our cafes, producers and restaurants too, as there is a lot going on in this sphere.
Research shows, as many of you will know, that food is the most important element in visitors' perceptions of a place after scenery, accommodation, and climate. As one of the main cultural attributes of a region local food can  motivate travel and most visitors seek a sense of the place and its people through food. With your help we can tell a richer story of our wonderful local producers, chefs and cooks.

Celebrating our world-class resilient businesses

No-one would disagree that its been the toughest of years, but in spite of the adverse circumstances, our business owners and staff have risen to the challenge and continue to deliver at the top of the game. Congratulations to:

Dive Zone Whitianga, nominated in the Waikato Business Awards People's Choice category, so head over and add your vote: https://wba.awardsplatform.com/entry/vote

Hot Water Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park, a finalist in the Westpac NZ Franchise Awards 2023 for Excellence in Customer Engagement.

Digital Boost: free online learning platform

Just a reminder that this useful resource for businesses funded by MBIE two years ago is still available.  The site has regular updates with practical, bite-sized tips and up-to-date trends on all things digital to help you grow, improve productivity and increase customer engagement. The content has been developed in partnership with sector experts to speak to the unique challenges of the tourism industry. digitalboost.business.govt.nz

Nga mihi
Destination Hauraki Coromandel