What makes New Zealand tourism so popular?

By Eleanor Sawyer

New Zealand tourism has taken a huge hike in popularity. If you are into adventure and out-of-this world scenery, check out New Zealand.

I used to be only dimly aware of New Zealand, imagining it as somewhat of Australia’s Canada; close to Australia, similar to Australia, just not quite the same. After spending five months of the last year in New Zealand I’ve come to know it quite a bit better, finally learning why Peter Jackson chose it as the location of Tolkin’s Middle Earth.

New Zealand tourism received a huge boost from the Lord of the Rings trilogy since so many fans saw the amazing scenery in the films and wanted to know more about where it was filmed. One of the main reasons the Trilogy was so beneficial to New Zealand tourism was that it was filmed in so many locations. A number of guidebooks are available to show the enterprising fan around the country, pointing out all of the shooting locations for the film. Many private businesses that helped transport those working on the film to the various locations are now more than happy to transport fans to the same places for a fee. LOTR travel has become a great boon to New Zealand tourism; even though most people don’t travel to New Zealand explicitly to see the shooting locations many of them will take side-trips to see the locations for some of their favorite scenes.

Though the Lord of the Rings tourism has helped the country’s economy considerably, the biggest boost to New Zealand tourism has come from the advent of adventure tourism. These days taking a vacation no longer means merely hanging around on a cruise ship or traveling to a nice beach where you can lay around, drink cocktails with little umbrellas in them and maybe read a book. More and more people, especially younger travelers, are looking for a little more adrenaline in their vacations.

New Zealand Resources

Ahipara Luxury Travel - First class tours.

Adventure Tours - Outdoor-oriented, small group, guided hiking, trekking, cycling, paddling and biking adventure tours.

New Zealand had jumped at the opportunity to provide travelers with all sorts of adventure opportunities. Near Rotorua you can go zorbing, which consists of sliding into what amounts to a giant hamster ball and rolling yourself down a hill. Many companies provide jet-boat rides up whitewater rivers and through tight canyons at breakneck speeds. You can toss yourself off the highest bungee jump in the world or take part in world class whitewater rafting. The Waitomo area offers a huge host of caving opportunities, from the board-walked tourist caves to rappelling and sliding through mud and water to explore extensive underground labyrinths. Though this new breed of New Zealand tourism may not give you any trouble finding adventure, you may have a bit of trouble fitting it all in.

Would an Africa vacation be a good choice? - If you want a vacation that offers you a myriad of choices, you will want to put an africa vacation on your list. Here is some of the variety you can experience.

Would you recommend those Mexico vacation packages?- If you are looking for something geographically close, but culturally remote, take a look at some of the Mexico vacation packages. Here are some of my views and experien

What are the accommodation in Australia choices? - I can tell you first hand. Here's an account of our experiences with accommodation in Australia.. ces...

Are taking weekend breaks in Europe really possible? - Absolutley. With today's air travel schedules, jetting off on weekend breaks in Europe are more feasible than ever.

Where can I find air fare deals? - Air fare deals are prolific. You just have to know where to look to find them. Here are some tips that may help...

Eleanor Sawyer is a former travel agency owner and has been in almost every country in the world. She is a frequent contributor to http://www.thankyouforasking.com on the subject of travel.

Header graphic courtesy of Digital Westex Gallary

Home | Site Map | About