Go with Tourism has today launched a refreshed “Tourism Hero” digital marketing campaign to celebrate the roles and work that make up the Tourism industry. 

A brand new hero will be introduced every month; highlighting a different role, company and destination around Aotearoa.

Their stories will be told via video and shared across Go with Tourism’s social media channels, with takeovers and other engaging activity planned; as well as a feature page on the website, which delves deeper into their personal success story. 

Three heroes kick off the refreshed campaign: Alice Orr, a trainee jet-boat-driver for Hukafalls Jet; Andy Hoyle, General Manager of Safety & Environmental Risk at Ruapehu Alpine Lifts; and Lewis Benseman, owner and operator of Queenstown Beer Tours. 

Filming has already commenced for upcoming heroes, whose roles range from tour guide to marketing executive, customer experience manager and more.

The goal of the Tourism Hero campaign is to raise awareness the wide range of careers available in the Tourism & Hospitality industry, as well as the different career pathways taken.

Go with Tourism Programme Director, Matt Stenton, says that negative perceptions about the industry prevent Kiwis from genuinely understanding the opportunities available and success that can be found. “When people think about Tourism & Hospitality, it’s usually entry-level, part-time, or seasonal roles that come to mind. However, with our refreshed Tourism Heroes campaign, we hope to continue to challenge that thinking by celebrating the highly skilled, interesting and stable roles that anyone can aspire to have. You can have a business, legal, marketing and accounting degree and still work in Tourism & Hospitality.

“Our heroes help tell this story and squash the negative perceptions that surround a career in this industry.”

Go with Tourism’s original six ambassadors – who helped launch the government-funded initiative in Auckland in 2019 – will continue to have their stories told on the website’s “Success Stories” page.

Over the coming years, Go with Tourism aims to rebuild the workforce of the recuperating Tourism industry. The Tourism Hero campaign is just one of many tools in the toolbelt alongside career expos, school programmes and job matching services that target students and jobseekers.

Written by Helen Shaw, Marketing Communications Manager