DQ SPRING MARKETING UPDATE

DQ’s consumer, trade and business events marketing is in full swing this spring, promoting a huge range of activities for the season ahead.

Alongside our digital campaigns in NZ and Australia we’re running a number of third-party partnerships, promoting Queenstown’s diverse spring offering – from spring skiing, golf, biking, and hiking, to our adventure and adrenaline thrills, arts & heritage, family activities, and food and drink experiences. Spring truly is the season you can do it all in Queenstown!

We are also launching two new initiatives to encourage locals to get out and about. A new ‘Eat, Drink, October’ campaign will launch on 1 October to encourage locals to support hospitality businesses around the district during the month of October. We’ve also launched a new ‘What’s on Around Town’ event marketing programme targeting locals and visitors, showcasing a variety of locally led and community events. Read on below for details on how to get involved within your own business.

As always, the DQ media programme will be hosting journalists to drive earned content, and we have the likes of Kia Ora, Traveller and NZME publications visiting this spring.

DQ’s Trade and QCB teams are busy with sales calls and trade shows in the US, UK, Americas and Greater China. Alongside this, work is underway to develop a suite of tailored trade itineraries and seasonal training videos.

Hei konā mai

Sarah O'Donnell
GM Destination and Brand

This October, Destination Queenstown is launching ‘Eat, Drink, October’ - a month-long campaign designed to encourage locals to get out and enjoy Queenstown’s vibrant food and drink scene during the shoulder season. Running across social and digital channels, the campaign will spotlight local hospitality businesses and special offers to entice the local community.

We’re inviting hospitality operators to take part by uploading their offers to QueenstownNZ.co.nz by 15 September. Deals must be valid from 1-31 October, redeemable by both locals and visitors, and loaded as a Special Offer under the Food & Drink category in the DQ Extranet.

DQ has partnered with MiNDFOOD Magazine to produce a double-page editorial showcasing Queenstown in spring, highlighting the region’s spring ski offering, alongside a diverse range of off-mountain experiences and food and drink options. The feature is live in both New Zealand and Australian markets and will be amplified through MiNDFOOD’s social and EDM channels.

DQ is partnering with Flow MTB, a leading Australian biking platform, to showcase Queenstown’s world-class mountain and trail biking. A spring-summer content series will spotlight the region’s epic trails and passionate riding community through editorial and online features.

DQ is partnering with domestic travel hub, New Zealand Guide, to showcase Queenstown as a must-visit destination this spring. Launching mid-September, editorial and social activity will highlight key seasonal segments including hiking, biking, adventure, golf, and arts and culture. 

DQ is in discussions with StoryBites, a YouTube-first platform specialising in long-form storytelling, to showcase the regions unique food and drink narratives. The proposed activity would profile a selection of local chefs, exploring their philosophy, signature dishes, and connection to the region, bringing Queenstown’s culinary scene to life for global audiences.

DQ’s always-on digital marketing ensures Queenstown maintains a consistent year-round brand presence in the domestic and Australian markets, supporting visitation throughout the year. Activity runs across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google, and TikTok, targeting all stages of the booking journey - from sparking destination appeal, to providing useful trip-planning content, through to driving conversion via member referrals.

Spring activity launched in Australia on 1 August and in the domestic market on 1 September. Digital campaigns target key interest segments including spring ski, adventure, walking, biking, food and drink, family, and arts and culture. The activity reinforces Queenstown’s spring proposition - the chance to experience it all in one season.

AU & NZ performance (July - August 2025):

In September, the trade team will join an ANZCRO-facilitated sales mission in the US, visiting Nashville, Chattanooga, Denver, and Atlanta, providing opportunities to connect with luxury travel advisors from leading consortia such as Virtuoso, Signature Travel, and Fora. Following this, DQ will attend the Delta Vacations University trade show alongside 12 New Zealand operators and RTOs.

In October, the team will attend Kiwi Link UK/Europe in London, showcasing Queenstown and Wānaka to key UK and European partners, followed by Kiwi Link Americas in Chicago, strengthening existing partnerships and creating new connections across the US.

In November, the team will attend Kiwi Link Greater China, connecting with buyers from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Over the past few months, QCB has been active across domestic and international markets and that is set to continue in spring.

In October, QCB will exhibit on the TNZ stand at IMEX, alongside other RTOs and operators. IMEX is one of the largest global trade shows for the business events industry, held annually, and brings together thousands of event professionals from around the world.

Following a successful inaugural event and attendance over the past two years, QCB will again be exhibiting at the Business Events Expo in November, joined by two Queenstown operators. The Expo brings together a wide range of venues, suppliers, and services for business events, providing valuable networking opportunities and insights for industry professionals.

The direct-to-consumer email strategy builds personalised relationships with domestic, Australian, and long-haul visitors. Content is aligned to subscriber interests, sharing stories about our people, place and unique experiences on offer. The email series over spring will be focused on skiing, hiking, biking, adventure, upcoming events and activities, food and drink, and family-themed content.

The most recent eDMs can be viewed below:

DQ’s event marketing campaign continues in the Australian and domestic markets, promoting a range of different events across digital channels.

Fresh creative and assets are in market, promoting everything from festivals, sporting events and markets. It is free to submit an event listing on QueenstownNZ.nz. Event listings inform DQ’s digital activity, seasonal event guides and submissions to Tourism New Zealand.

A new ‘What’s On Around Town’ event campaign launched on 1 September to target residents and visitors while in destination. This new activity is designed to showcase a variety of more local-led and community events from weekly quiz nights and open mic nights, to free to watch ice hockey games and pottery evenings.

There are many ways to leverage and get involved in DQ’s marketing activity:

If you require more information about consumer marketing, please email daniellaj@queenstown-wanaka.nz, for trade stuc@queenstown-wanaka.nz, and business events jessl@queenstown-wanaka.nz.

SARAH O'DONNELL, GM DESTINATION AND BRAND