Auckland takes centre stage in America’s Next Top Model

Auckland was star of the show when America’s Next Top Model went to air in the United States to more than three million viewers last night.   

The popular reality TV series, hosted by fashion tyrant Tyra Banks, saw the final six contestants arrive in Auckland to a rousing Maori welcome at the top of the iconic volcanic cone, Mt Eden

Next stop for the girls was their temporary home, The Sentinel in Takapuna, where they marveled at the views of Auckland harbour and prepared for their New Zealand experience.

Tourism Auckland Chief Executive, Graeme Osborne, says a visit from a premier show such as this provides a profile and reach for Auckland within the key United States market that money just can’t buy.

“Reality TV is huge in the US and America’s Next Top Model has gained excellent exposure for Auckland in such a key visitor market.”

“The show highlights Auckland’s cutting-edge fashion industry and provides viewers with a taste of what our diverse region has to offer visitors,” he says.

The filming of America’s Next Top Model here was the first major initiative in a new joint marketing partnership between Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand, which aims to more than double US visitor arrivals from just under 200,000 per year to around 320,000 by 2014.
Tourism Auckland and other Regional Tourism Organisations around the country supported the America’s Next Top Model project

Other episodes shot in Auckland and New Zealand will go to air in the United States over the coming weeks and feature on local TV in late 2010 or early 2011.

To help promote the New Zealand episodes offshore local fashionista Colin Mathura-Jeffree stars in a video shot in Auckland, which highlights high fashion areas in the city. 

For more details about America’s Next Top Model in Auckland and New Zealand visit wwwgonewzealand.com/americas-next-top-model/

The United States is New Zealand’s third largest visitor market behind the United Kingdom and Australia. Last year there were 196,452 American visitors.  

Tourism is big business in Auckland, generating in excess of $3 billion of GDP per annum and supporting more than 50,000 full time jobs.

Ends

© Scoop Media