Buzz
A pivotal aspect of the campaign was the website www.newzealand.com, serving as a central portal for potential visitors. The website featured a database of tourism service providers, both domestic and international, facilitating easy listing for any tourism-related business. This inclusive approach allowed even small businesses like bed and breakfasts and niche activity providers to gain online visibility among long-haul travelers. Moreover, businesses could regularly update their information to ensure accuracy. To maintain high standards, Tourism New Zealand instituted an evaluation scheme where listed businesses were independently assessed against agreed national quality standards, including environmental impact considerations.
To convey the New Zealand experience, the website showcased profiles of notable personalities and places. Highlights included an interview with former All Blacks rugby captain Tana Umaga and an interactive tour of filming locations for blockbuster movies that utilized New Zealand’s stunning landscapes. As the site evolved, additional features were added to help independent travelers plan personalized itineraries. The website also curated popular driving routes throughout the country, categorized by season with distances and estimated travel times.
Subsequently, a Travel Planner tool was introduced, enabling visitors to bookmark places or attractions of interest and view them on a map. The Travel Planner suggested routes and public transport options between chosen locations, with links to nearby accommodations. Registered users could save their plans for future reference or print them for use during their visit. The website also featured a 'Your Words' section where users could submit blogs about their travels in New Zealand, potentially being published on the site.
The Tourism New Zealand website received two Webby awards for its online achievements and innovations. More significantly, tourism growth in New Zealand was remarkable. Overall tourism spending increased by an average of 6.9% annually from 1999 to 2004. Visits from Britain to New Zealand grew at an average annual rate of 13% from 2002 to 2006, compared to a 4% rate for British visits abroad in general.
The website was set up to allow both individuals and travel organisations to create itineraries and travel packages to suit their own needs and interests. On the website, visitors can search for activities not solely by geographical location, but also by the particular nature of the activity. This is important as research shows that activities are the key driver of visitor satisfaction, contributing 74% to visitor satisfaction, while transport and accommodation account for the remaining 26%. The more activities that visitors undertake, the more satisfied they will be. It has also been found that visitors enjoy cultural activities most when they are interactive, such as visiting a marae (meeting ground) to learn about traditional Maori life. Many long-haul travelers enjoy such learning experiences, which provide them with stories to take home to their friends and family. In addition, it appears that visitors to New Zealand don’t want to be ‘one of the crowd’ and find activities that involve only a few people more special and meaningful.
It could be argued that New Zealand is not a typical destination. New Zealand, a small country with a visitor economy dominated by small businesses, is generally perceived as a safe, English-speaking country with reliable transportation infrastructure. Due to the long-distance travel involved, most visitors stay longer (an average of 20 days) and aim to explore as much of the country as possible during what is often considered a once-in-a-lifetime trip. However, the underlying lessons are applicable everywhere – the effectiveness of a strong brand, a strategy based on unique experiences, and a comprehensive, user-friendly website.
Questions 1-7
Complete the table below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
| Section of website | Comments |
| Database of tourism services | • easy for tourism-related businesses to get on the list• allowed businesses to 1…………………………… information regularly• provided a country-wide evaluation of businesses, including their impact on the 2……………………….. |
| Special features on local topics | • e.g. an interview with a former sports 3……………………………., and an interactive tour of various locations used in 4………………………. |
| Information on driving routes | • varied depending on the 5…………………………… |
| Travel Planner | • included a map showing selected places, details of public transport and local 6…………………………. |
| ‘Your Words’ | • travelers could send a link to their 7………………………… |
Questions 8-13
Do the following statements align with the information provided in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
8 The website www.newzealand.com aimed to provide ready-made itineraries and packages for travel companies and individual tourists.
9 It was found that most visitors started searching on the website by geographical location.
10 According to research, 26% of visitor satisfaction is related to their accommodation.
11 Visitors to New Zealand like to become involved in the local culture.
12 Visitors like staying in small hotels in New Zealand rather than in larger ones.
13 Many visitors feel it is unlikely that they will return to New Zealand after their visit.
Responses
1. Update (Đoạn 2, “In addition, because participating businesses were able to update the details they gave on a regular basis, the information provided remained accurate.”)
2. Environment (Dòng cuối cùng đoạn 2, “As part of this, the effect of each business on the environment was considered.”
3. Captain (Đoạn 3, “One of the most popular was an interview with former New Zealand All Blacks rugby captain Tana Umaga.”)
4. Films (Đoạn 3, “Another feature that attracted a lot of attention was an interactive journey through a number of the locations chosen for blockbuster films which had made use of New Zealand’s stunning scenery as a backdrop.”)
5. Season (Đoạn 3, “…highlighting different routes according to the season and indicating distances and times.”)
6. Accommodation (Đoạn 4, “There were also links to accommodation in the area.”)
7. Blog (Đoạn 4, “The website also had a ‘Your Words’ section where anyone could submit a blog of their New Zealand travels for possible inclusion on the website.”)
8. FALSE (Đoạn 6, “The website was set up to…interests” -> Website này không cung cấp các gói dịch vụ du lịch có sẵn -> Trái ngược với câu hỏi)
9. NOT GIVEN (Không có thông tin về việc bắt đầu tìm kiếm thông tin trên website)
10. FALSE (Đoạn 6, “This is important … 26%” -> Cả Transport và Accommodation cộng lại mới bằng 26%, chứ không phải chỉ có Accomodation -> Sai thông tin)
11. TRUE (Đoạn 6, “It has also been…traditional life.” -> Khách du lịch thích hoà mình vào văn hoá địa phương -> Trùng khớp với câu hỏi)
12. NOT GIVEN (No information comparing large hotels with small hotels)13. TRUE (Paragraph 7, “Because of the long-haul flight,…once-in-a-lifetime visit.” -> Visitors are unlikely to return)
