The Stats Have it - Wellington Becoming a ‘Must-See Destination’

29/02/08

Feel like socialising, taking some time out and recharging the batteries? Head to Wellington! The latest Regional Visitor Monitor (RVM) confirms Wellington’s reputation as a place that just has to be visited.

The results show that holiday visitors are increasingly drawn to Wellington by its reputation as a place to have fun, socialise and relax. The year end December 2007 figures show Wellington’s reputation as a place to have fun and socialise has increased from year end December 2006 (by 6%  to 42%), while its reputation as a place to recharge and refresh has also increased over that same period (by 9% to 22%). The Wellington brand is growing and the city is becoming a ‘must-see destination’, independent of the events it hosts.
 
“It’s great to see that Wellington is becoming a destination of choice,” says Positively Wellington Tourism CEO Tim Cossar. “Our marketing activity places a strong focus on Wellington’s urban attributes of having a buzzing downtown area, fantastic cafes and bars, and arts and culture attractions. That activity seems to be working, as the right messages are getting through!”
 
The survey confirms that Wellington’s core urban attributes remain its most significant points of difference. Visitors’ expectations in some of these areas were well above the national benchmark, for the year ended December 2007. Visitors’ expectations of discovering good food and wine stood at 47% (against the national benchmark of 37%), an appealing cityscape at 58% (compared to the national benchmark of 46%) and a vibrant urban atmosphere at 63% (to the national benchmark of 37%).
 
“Wellington’s reputation as a vibrant, fun place to visit is also growing because visitors’ expectations in these areas are being met,” says Tim. “Word of mouth plays an important role in the development of a destination’s reputation, and it’s fantastic to see that Wellington is delivering on its promises.”
 
The latest RVM results also highlight areas where Wellington is underperforming, and the convention market is one of these. In the results period, the region’s conference market showed a decline.
 
“We know that other national centres are making significant investments in their conference venues and facilities, and this is helping them gain business,” says Tim. “Wellington actively targets the convention market through marketing and sales work, but in order to maintain our market share, we need to become more competitive in the area of convention facilities.”