South Island Tourism Campaign Wins National Award After Boosting Regional Economy

A collaborative tourism campaign that drew thousands of extra Australian visitors to the South Island and generated up to $25 million has won a national award.

Awards and Results

The Winter Different campaign took home the FareHarbor Tourism Collaboration Award at the 2026 New Zealand Tourism Awards held in Christchurch on Wednesday night at the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. The initiative exceeded all major targets during winter 2025 by bringing in 7539 additional Australian visitors and lifting winter arrivals into Christchurch by 19.3 percent. The campaign also produced an estimated economic boost of between $20.7 million and $25.1 million across the Central South Island. Visitors stayed for an average of 9.5 nights, spreading the economic gains beyond Christchurch into surrounding communities.

Partners and Funding

Led by ChristchurchNZ, the campaign brought together Destination Kaikōura, Visit Hurunui, Venture Timaru, Mackenzie Tourism and Development West Coast. It also involved national partners like Tourism New Zealand, Christchurch International Airport, Webjet, Snap Rentals, Great Journeys and more than 160 tourism operators. Developed in just three weeks, the project relied on $600,000 from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Regional Tourism Boost Fund. This early success helped secure another $1 million from MBIE to continue the effort through 2026 under the name Discover Different. Additionally, Methven's Ōpuke Thermal Pools and Spa won the NZME Visitor Experience Award at the same event.

Context

Regional tourism initiatives often combine public funding and private business partnerships to attract international travellers during slower months. Spreading visitors across multiple smaller towns helps support local economies that might otherwise rely heavily on a single main city.