Depending on how you read it, New Zealand’s latest tourist slogan can be a well -intentioned plea to visit – or a threat to expel kiwis.
“Everyone must go!” Reads a slogan printed through posters of people in the majestic landscapes of New Zealand – part of a campaign of $ 500,000 NZ ($ 285,000; £ 227,000) unveiled on Sunday.
But what we heard as a catchy call for action for Australian tourists was accused of being deaf, because New Zealand deals with record emigration and unemployment rates.
The government defended the campaign, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying that he “(appreciates) there are a lot of discussions about the fact that everyone loves the slogan or not”.
“The fact that we are talking about it is a good thing. It’s a good thing,” he added.
Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, tourism spokesperson for the opposition labor party, Local News Outlet Radio New Zealand (RNZ) told Local New Zealand that the new slogan “sounded New Zealand as if we were in a customs clearance during a sale “.
“The irony of this messaging is, this is how New Zealandian Totearoa is currently feeling,” she said, pointing to “many cuts” that the residents have known.
Jobs in the public sector in the past year, as part of the government’s austerity thrust, have affected thousands of people.
Meanwhile, people leave the country in record numbers. Official figures show that there were nearly 130,000 departures last year – although this was offset by the arrival of nearly 160,000 immigrants.
“The New Zealanders vote with their feet, leaving in record number,” Labor MP Barbara Edmonds on Monday. “Does their real tourist plan” everyone has to go “- for Kiwis?
Others associated the slogan at the request of toilets.
“I think that” everyone must go “could refer to the need for toilets in some of our very touristy places. I mean, the queues are ridiculous,” the Green Party MP to RNZ, MP Wade-Brown.
“They don’t go to kayak, they don’t dive, but my God, they queue in the toilet.”
The Minister of Tourism, Louise Upston, said on Sunday in a statement that “the slogan of the campaign of” everyone must go “allows Australia to know that New Zealand is a destination” to visit “, And that we are ready and wait to welcome them now ”.
New Zealand’s tourist figures have not yet rebounded at pre-pale levels, and the authorities channe the efforts to attract visitors to neighboring Australia, its greatest source of tourists.
Last year, New Zealand welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors from Australia. But Upston said the number of visitors was only 88% of this in 2019.
Luxon said he hoped that the last campaign would increase the 5%Australian visitors’ figures.
“It would be totally and totally tragic if these Australians do not arrive here before dying,” he said.
The one -month tourist campaign is expected to start on Thursday.
