About Destination Marlborough

Destination Marlborough is a not-for-profit Trust responsible for marketing Marlborough as a visitor destination.

Our job is to tell the world why Marlborough is a stunning destination to visit for a holiday, for business, or to catch up with friends and family.

Regional promotion is vital to create the awareness and desirability of a region and grow the number of visitors who want to come to Marlborough. But visitors must first have a reason to come to a region. Regional promotion provides context, an umbrella if you like, under which individual businesses can promote their product or service. It is only when visitors have a reason or desire to come to Marlborough that they then look for accommodation, activities and transport that suits their circumstances.

The region's destination marketing activities are funded through a combination of commercial partnership funding, isite revenue and Marlborough District Council General and Targeted Tourism Rates.

All activity undertaken by Destination Marlborough is focused on the following four regional priorities:

• Positioning Marlborough as a compelling destination to visit
• Growing visitor spend in Marlborough
• Prioritising effort to smooth seasonality
• Connecting local government and private sector funding to achieve a single collaborative voice

Destination Marlborough delivers an ongoing programme of trade education and influencing to increase product placement in travel brochures internationally, and improve the ability of travel agents to confidently sell the Marlborough region.

Destination Marlborough attracts New Zealanders to visit and extend their stay through tactical marketing initiatives and media targeting and hosting to generate editorial. Particular emphasis is placed on stimulating travel in the spring and autumn.

Destination Marlborough also markets the region as a conference, meeting and incentive destination to build visitor numbers over winter. The objective is to increasingly attract this business, provide partner programmes and pre and post conference leisure options and encourage delegates to return to the region with friends and family.

Destination Marlborough works with Port Marlborough to support cruise ship visits to the region and coordinate on-shore excursions for visitors.

Every opportunity is taken to initiate and attract international media outlets to visit Marlborough to generate editorial coverage that raises the profile of the region.

Destination Marlborough operates the isite Visitor Centres in Picton and Blenheim on behalf of the region. These two centres are open to assist visitors with travel enquiries and bookings, both in the region and for the duration of their time in New Zealand.

Destination Marlborough produces the officially recognised Marlborough Visitor Guide, which is available online and distributed extensively throughout New Zealand and to key travel re-sellers offshore. This is complemented by the official regional tourism website (see link below) and social media channels that direct visitors to information, products and offers from the region.

Go to the Marlborough NZ website

Marlborough businesses have access to the range of promotional and marketing partnerships created by Destination Marlborough to help profile their individual experience and market collectively with others. The Destination Marlborough team also provide tourism marketing and product development expertise and advice along with public relations and crisis communication support as a service to tourism operators in the region.

Businesses who offer services or products to visitors, in addition to their own business management and marketing, have access to a range of tourism marketing opportunities facilitated and led by Destination Marlborough that help connect their products to the customer.

Local business owners/managers are encouraged to make full use of the opportunities, information and connections available through Destination Marlborough.

For full details of Destination Marlborough's annual activity plan, and to ensure you are taking full advantage of the regional marketing effort, contact the team at Destination Marlborough on email or see the MarlboroughNZ website.

Marlborough

Marlborough is a unique destination - not for any one reason, but for many.

Marlborough offers an array of outdoor pursuits in such a distinctive and picturesque landscape. With one-fifth of New Zealand's coastline in the Marlborough Sounds, the land and sea off unlimited accessibility for sports and leisure in a setting that is as geographically diverse as it is beautiful.

Marlborough has the environment that can produce its particular style of Sauvignon Blanc, celebrated the world over. The soils, the climate and our winemakers' vision are what make our award-winning wines impossible to imitate.

We constantly hear visitors saying the weather is amazing, that they had an incredible time in the Sounds and an outstanding day visiting the wineries.

Marlborough is the ideal place to be, no matter what the weather or season.

Our marketing campaigns speak to visitors in a lively, warm and authentic way.

Who are we targeting?

We welcome visitors from all corners of the globe, but when it comes to taking the time to train travel agents we focus our energy on Australia, the US, UK, Germany, France, Rest of Europe, South East Asia, and China.

We also welcome all Kiwis travelling within New Zealand. However we do focus our attention on attracting visitors from the places where we have strong transport links, such as Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury, and of course our neighbours over the hill in Nelson/Tasman.

The role is largely voluntary with trustees receiving $4,000 per annum to cover expenses. For more information on the board, please contact the general manager on 03 579 2375.

Our Partners

• Marlborough District Council,
• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Education,
• Air New Zealand,
• Sounds Air,
• Interislander,
• Bluebridge,
• KiwiRail,
• Tourism New Zealand,
• Tourism Industry Aotearoa,
• Regional Tourism New Zealand
• Our local tourism businesses, and
• Our local Marlborough community.