When the Minister of Tourism, John Key, called for applications from regional tourism organisations after announcing just before Christmas an additional $5 million in funding allocations for Australian marketing campaigns, Tourism Dunedin, together with neighbouring regions Southland, Waitaki, Central Otago and Fiordland, came up with a marketing idea - a celebrity ambassador programme - but could not raise the minimum $250,000 threshold required to be considered for funds.
Successful applicants had the cost of their proposal matched by the Government, but the proposal of Tourism Dunedin and its neighbouring regions was turned down because it did not meet the threshold criteria.
Tourism Dunedin was successful in a $250,000 joint-venture proposal with Hamilton and Bay of Plenty, which will result in a marketing campaign with Pacific Blue in February.
Tourism Dunedin business development manager Heather Mollins said a bid from Queenstown and Wanaka had been successful partly because the local regional tourism organisation had more cash available thanks to its membership scheme.
Also, other regional tourism organisations had already had plans for marketing programmes in Australia in place, with the money earmarked, so now they had double the money to work with.
"We only had a couple of weeks to reshuffle our budgets and get as much money in the pot as possible."
She was determined they would not miss out on similar funding next year, and Tourism Dunedin was looking at ways to avoid that outcome, Ms Mollins said.
One of the options was a membership scheme.
"It is a possibility, but no details have been worked out yet."
The local industry was already supportive of Tourism Dunedin in that it offered things like free accommodation and discounts, and membership would just be a more structured way of managing that support.
It was also an attractive proposition if the Government offered more "matcher" allocations because operators' contributions would be doubled, she said.
Dunedin tourism operators contacted yesterday said they were not closed to the idea of a membership scheme, but would need to see details of any proposal before making any further comment.
Royal Albatross Centre manager Sam Inder said tourism operators already paid fees to Tourism Dunedin when they wanted to be part of a promotion, but he was prepared to consider anything that promoted the city and the area.
Taieri Gorge Railway chief executive Murray Bond agreed that Tourism Dunedin needed more funding - in fact, "millions" more - but his company already spent $300,000 a year on marketing and it was time for the Dunedin City Council to inject more money into promoting Dunedin, Mr Bond said.
"Every dollar we bring in, brings $10 to $12 to the city.
"I'm right behind Tourism Dunedin getting more money, but it's time for the DCC to come to the party."
It was imperative the council prioritised tourism, he said.
Ms Mollins said although the regions had failed in their bid for part of the $5 million, plans for a celebrity endorsement programme would still go ahead, with help from Tourism New Zealand.
While the marketing programme, which will feature an Australian celebrity promoting the region, did not have as big a budget as programmes for other regions, it was fresh and interesting and Tourism Dunedin hoped it would reap benefit through a more word-of-mouth process.
The celebrity was yet to be confirmed, but the project would go ahead in the next few months.
