Tourism New Zealand on Wednesday will premiere a 3-1/2 minute promotional film featuring the Oscar winner and Jade Daniels, his stunt double in the HBO romantic comedy series "Our Flag Means Death" which is filmed in New Zealand.
Visitors from United States are a major target audience, said Rene de Monchy, chief executive for Tourism New Zealand. The film, shot in December 2022, will also play on social media platforms in Australia, Germany, the UK and parts of Asia. "Competition is heating up and economic times are a bit tough in many parts of the world so we've got to keep being innovative and top of mind for people."
Prior to COVID and the closure of New Zealand's borders, international tourism was New Zealand's largest source of foreign exchange and accounted for about 5.5% of gross domestic product.The film, which cost NZ$689,000 to make, highlights activities like dolphin watching in Kaikoura on the South Island's east coast and wine tasting in the country's largest city Auckland.