The campaign was ridiculed when it was launched. Media in the United States and United Kingdom called it tone-deaf, while opposition MPs said it made New Zealand sound like a clearance-sale item.
But Tourism New Zealand stats show it delivered 7981 additional visitors between March and May.
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said that was more than 1000 additional visitors than expected.
She described the campaign as a winner, aimed at grabbing people’s attention – and it did.
“We knew Aussies would recognise it as a great opportunity. Just like they grabbed Phar Lap and pavlova, it’s proved the same story with ‘Everyone Must Go’.”
The campaign targeted a $17 million spend boost, and the minister said it generated an estimated $22 million in incremental visitor spend.
The industry had backed the campaign, with 450 operators offering more than 800 deals to entice travellers, she said.
“A key part of this campaign’s success were the deals the tourism industry came to the party with. This team approach showed we can deliver great results for the sector when government and industry are joined up and working towards the same goals.”
The campaign received an initial $500,000 budget from the International Visitor Levy, but received an additional $300,000 boost.
Of the additional visitors, 6804 of them could be directly attributed to bookings made via the campaign, with the remaining 1177 linked to the indirect conversion activity.
The total number of Aussie arrivals in autumn increased by more than 24,000 – hitting 331,571 this year.
“Every one of those Australian visitors who ate at cafes and restaurants, visited tourist attractions and shopped in our towns and cities has helped the New Zealand tourism sector grow, and boosted the Kiwi economy in the process,” Upston said.
