Visit Sunshine Coast launches ‘Sunshine Moments’ campaign to attract Kiwis to the Sunny Coast
In a first for the Sunshine Coast, Jetstar will launch year-round direct flights between Auckland and the Sunshine Coast commencing in mid-December, perfectly timed for the Christmas school holidays.
The new trans-Tasman flights will operate three times per week – on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday – and will have Aucklanders arriving in time for a morning swim in the warm Pacific Ocean waters.
The new service is expected to add more than 58,000 new low fares seats each year between the two destinations and will complement seasonal direct services by Air New Zealand over the winter.
In anticipation of the launch, Visit Sunshine Coast has launched a new promotional campaign inviting Kiwis to ‘fly direct’ and experience legendary Sunshine Moments across the Tasman.
Aucklanders are already getting a taste of the campaign through outdoor billboards, social media channels and digital display advertisements.
Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel said the launch of year-round direct services between Auckland and the Sunshine Coast had been originally planned for 2020, before being postponed by Covid, but the potential for the service was already being reflected in the early demand.
“We know the New Zealand market has a great affinity with the Sunshine Coast: it’s our biggest international market and has great potential to grow with the added convenience of Kiwis being able to fly directly here year-round,” said Mr Stoeckel.
“The fact that you can depart Auckland early and be enjoying Mooloolaba prawns on the beach by lunchtime will really resonate. It is an easy journey, and you land a stone’s throw from our beautiful beaches. It’s a perfect formula.
“Our team has undertaken trade missions to New Zealand in advance of the service and our new Sunshine Moments campaign is our biggest consumer campaign ever in the NZ market, with imagery and messaging that we’re confident will inspire even more Kiwis to visit.
“While we know many New Zealanders have visited in the past, our Sunshine Moments campaign highlights that we are far more than just glorious beaches and warm seas. It also shows off our other strengths such as nature, outdoors adventure, wellness, food, and our position as Australia’s Craft Beer Capital. In fact, we were just in Auckland for Beervana, showcasing the region through our award-winning brews.
“We believe that the year-round service will be a game changer for attracting the Kiwi leisure, business and conference markets, and its success will hopefully attract further direct services from other New Zealand cities in the future.
“I want to thank Jetstar, and the Queensland Government who provided vital funding to support this new service.”
Flights from Auckland to Sunshine Coast Airport are available from NZ$195 per person, one way. Bookings can be made at www.jetstar.com.