Lake Wanaka Lifestyle Reserve, the new branding concept for Wanaka tourism, was launched yesterday in a move hoped to repeat the success of the New Zealand 100% Pure campaign.
The marketing material features glossy shots of the region's natural landscapes in a bid to illustrate the lifestyle attractions of the area and pitch them to visitors, Lake Wanaka Tourism general manager James Helmore says.
"We think it fits nicely with New Zealand Tourism's internationally acclaimed 100% Pure campaign and hope it will be just as successful," he said.
A new website was unveiled before a crowd of tourism operators and local business owners at a function at Edgewater Resort last night, in preparation for its online launch at www.lakewanaka.co.nz today.
The "Lake Wanaka Lifestyle Reserve" message highlighted the quality of experience on offer for visitors to the region, Mr Helmore said.
The concept of a lifestyle reserve was chosen for Wanaka to act as a drawcard for those wanting to experience the ultimate Kiwi lifestyle, he said.
"It combines our spectacular scenery with a genuine sense of community, where our [tourism] operators are passionate about sharing their way of life, environment and what they do," he said.
New Zealand had recently been described as "one of the world's great lifestyle superpowers" in an article by BBC foreign correspondent Nick Bryant, Mr Helmore said.
The new branding would be the foundation for all activity by Lake Wanaka Tourism as the organisation looked to build on efforts to attract more visitors to the region, he said.
In the same way as wildlife reserves and national parks had become holiday destinations, it was hoped establishing Wanaka as the "world's first" lifestyle reserve would draw visitors and find favour with a discerning market, Mr Helmore said.
He welcomed feedback from people and looked forward to hearing about what they thought of the new branding strategy.
