Businesses sign up to GB Promotions’ visitor guide
The new Golden Bay visitor guide is being finalised right now for its launch at December’s Santa Parade.
Golden Bay Promotions spokesperson Sara Chapman said that the new guide, which will remain in circulation for the next two summers, was filling fast.
“We offered members of the promotions association the chance to get in first but now the rest of the business community has the chance to be in the guide. It will cover two seasons because we didn’t want to to be going back to our advertisers next April. If you advertise now you’re in for two seasons; if you miss out now you won’t be able to be in the official brochure until the summer of 2014.”
Sara led a research project that started work in May.
“We involved key operators in the Bay - both tourism and non-tourism - and we visited the i-SITEs in Greymouth, Blenheim, Motueka, Murchison and Nelson. The key places where visitors make that vital decision about whether to come here or not. We found that it was definitely time to give the guide a new look. The old one had served us well but design - especially the photographic aspect of design - has moved on. We want the new guide to show why we love to live here and why tourists should visit.”
The first print run of 50,000 will be sent throughout the Nelson-Tasman districts, Wellington, Christchurch and other i-SITEs in the South Island. Another print run will occur prior to next season.
Marg Braggins is part of the sub-committee that re-designed the guide (mockup pages shown below).
“Our aim is for the new guide to be fresh, clean and have impact. Photos are really important because we want tourists to very quickly understand what’s on offer here without having to read a lot of text. We also want it to show that there’s a lot to do here, so it’s worth staying for more than one night.
“Feedback from local advertisers showed that dividing the Bay into districts is preferred so we’ve incorporated that.”
Five districts are featured: Motueka to Takaka, Takaka township, Takaka to Abel Tasman, Takaka to Collingwood, and Collingwood and Beyond. Each district features a double-page spread about its highlights. Advertisers can choose which districts they would like to be in.
Golden Bay Promotions chairman Paddy Gilloolly said that the new guide would combine the functions of two previous brochures.
“For years, the visitor guide was designed to show people what to do once they got to the Bay. The Heart of the Parks brochure was supposed to attract them here. Now the new guide will serve both roles. It will be distributed far more widely so the message about the Bay will be spread more extensively both inside the Bay and outside. Now we just need the advertisers to see the benefit of coming on board. It’s the advertising that enables us to get the guide printed and out there.”
Pohara Top 10 Holiday Park owner Brent Clark says that he values the guide highly.
“It answers so many of our campers’ questions and saves us a lot of time. It’s almost like a little information centre. It’s our most used printed collateral.”
The Visitor Guide 2012-13 is open to retail, service and tourism operators. How much does it cost? $345 including GST for the smallest size. “Excellent value for two seasons. Usual story - do it now.”
Neil Wilson
