How many lavender fields pictures does social media need form New Zealand or its mountain peaks? Isn’t it time for some new perspectives? A fresh angle? Well, if you don’t know how not to copy, here’s what this country’s tourism agency is offering while insisting on not to travel “under the social influence.”
In a new video, the country’s tourism wants people to be more like their own and that New Zealand is tired of staring at its repetitive sceneries on Instagram.
“Travelling Under the Social Influence,” shows how the comedian Tom Sainsbury, patrols the country’s top tourist spots to point out how people are taking cliché pictures.
Sainsbury says that he has observed people who have seen photos from Instagram or other social media’s influencers and are going to great lengths just to copy them.
He goes on, briskly about a list of overdone social media posts. To quote him: “You’ve seen them like you could’ve not missed them, hot tub back shot. man sits quietly on the rock contemplating, and hot dog legs.”
In this video, travelers were encouraged to create creative shots with #DoSomethingNewNZ for a chance to win a $500 domestic travel voucher. The action is part of New Zealand’s “Do Something New” campaign. While international visitors are restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic this campaign aims for pushing forward the domestic tourism more and rediscovering “our backyard with new eyes.” In 2018, a tweet went viral, showing a long line of people waiting in line to take a photo at Roys Peak.
Tourism NZ’s domestic manager, Bjoern Spreitzer says that “We have noticed that the same pictures or poses keep coming up, again and again, no matter the location. There are so many incredible things to do in New Zealand, beyond the social trends.”