Radio Station for Tourists Hits the Airwaves

28/11/08

Tourists wanting to take a road trip in New Zealand can make the journey a lot more fun with the launch of Tourism Radio this month.

Forget about stuffy coach tours, regimented set stops and monotone tour guide operators – now tourists can navigate their own way around New Zealand from the comfort of a rental car with a fun and informative radio station.
 
Imagine having a couple of friendly locals sitting in the back seat chattering away about every topic imaginable while you explore everything this country has to offer – that’s the premise of Tourism Radio.
 
Combining unique software with GPS technology, Tourism Radio is essentially a unique radio station designed specifically for the self-drive tourist.
 
This innovative service acts as a ‘virtual tour guide’ broadcasting content in real time relative to the location of the listeners – so it’s always perfectly in tune to where the tourist is at any given time.
 
Tourism Radio’s unique IntelliPoint system overrides other broadcasts to play immediately relevant information depending on the particular region a tourist happens to be travelling through.
 
This clever device draws the driver’s attention to prominent landmarks and highlights as the vehicle approaches them, making sure the tourist doesn’t miss key attractions.
 
The unique hardware is discretely fitted onto the windscreen of rental cars, and transmits the programming directly to the car’s radio – so it’s easy to use no matter how technologically-minded a tourist may be.
 
This innovative new service is the latest travel accessory for tourists who want to make their own way around New Zealand’s vast landscape in their own good time.
 
As a result, car rental companies are rushing to install the system in their own fleets. Those already signed up include JUCY Rentals, Go Rentals, Kiwi Campers, Kiwi Autohomes, Spaceships and Pegasus Rentals
 
Hayden Braddock, Tourism Radio Managing Director New Zealand and Australia, says the programmes on Tourism Radio have been written to capture the essence of the country using common phrases and kiwi slang for an authentic listening experience.
 
“Tourism Radio is a fantastic way for tourists to get a feeling for what New Zealand is all about. It’s like having ten locals in the car with you, all pointing out their favourite spots and chipping in their two cents worth,” he says.
 
With such a targeted audience, Tourism Radio has quickly become a popular marketing vehicle for local tourism enterprises seeking to capture their share of the lucrative tourism market.
 
Mr Braddock says it’s the targeted content of Tourism radio that makes it such a great way to reach the right audience because any content broadcast is relative to the driver’s location at that time – so you can direct them where to stop for a quick bite to eat or where to hang their hat for the night.
 
Mr Braddock says the level of enthusiasm from advertisers has been matched by the Regional Tourism Organisations (RTO’s), 29 local government funded bodies responsible for marketing their regions domestically and internationally.
 
“The response from the Regional Tourism Organisations contacted has been really positive, with the majority all having indicated a strong interest in supporting and promoting Tourism Radio in their region,” he says.
 
Tourism Radio was originally started in Cape Town, South Africa in 2005 and is set to launch in New Zealand this month.