Tourism New Zealand’s” 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand” campaign has been recognised on the world stage again, with its latest win being the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Grand Award, Marketing.

“As an international marketing body it is incredibly encouraging to receive acknowledgement of our campaign activity from fellow international tourism bodies and professionals – and we are extremely proud to receive this award”, says Kevin Bowler, Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand.

The annual PATA Gold Awards recognise tourism organisations that have made outstanding contributions to successfully promote the travel industry in Asia Pacific. This year, more than 180 entries from 66 organisations and individuals worldwide were received.

Holiday arrivals into New Zealand for the year-ending May 2014 were up 8.9 per cent on the previous year, with key target market for the Middle-earth campaign – the United States – demonstrating a 15.3 per cent growth in holiday arrivals.

Launched in 2012, the campaign leverages the huge media and consumer attention that The Hobbit film trilogy has and will continue to achieve, and converts that attention into travel to New Zealand, the filming location for the movies, as well as Peter Jackson’s previous Lord of the Rings trilogy. Developed in partnership with The Hobbit filmmakers Warner Brothers and the New Zealand-based Weta Workshop, “100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand” has been the primary marketing campaign for Tourism New Zealand in its key offshore markets.

The award will be formally presented to Tourism New Zealand on 19 September at the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon as part of the PATA Travel Mart in Cambodia.