Tourism New Zealand has launched the Essential New Zealand mobile application to aid increasingly mobile New Zealand travelers.

The free app offers a travel companion that is accessible without Wi-Fi. It is available on iPhones and iPads.

?Mobile enables travellers to access information they are looking for when they want it while they are travelling in New Zealand,? said Gregg Anderson, general manager of Western long-haul markets, North America and Europe, for Tourism New Zealand.

?Accessed without the need for a Wi-Fi connection, Essential New Zealand makes it easier for visitors to connect with tourism experiences no matter where they are in New Zealand,? he said. ?The app supports the pre-arrival inspiration on newzealand.com and links users to their Your Trip travel plans, an established tool on newzealand.com.

?The app is an extension of the information on our consumer Web site, newzealand.com, which is provided by tourism businesses listed on the site. There is no charge for a tourism business to list on newzealand.com. Essential New Zealand provides an additional channel to increase the value of this listing, helping tourism businesses market their business and connect with travelers during the planning stage of their holiday before they arrive as well as while they are here.?

Essential app
Essential New Zealand provides users with the top ten New Zealand experiences and must-do experiences for 26 regions.

The app also offers photos, descriptions and pricing information for hundreds of attractions and activities.

Additionally, users can find contact details and locations for every activity and information center.

Consumers can also plan and save favorite activities and experiences in the Your Trip feature to access them later.

If users have access to Internet, they can also book transport and accommodation via the app and newzealand.com.

Mobile travelers
According to research from TNZ?s Visitor Experience Monitor, the use of mobile devices by New Zealand visitors increased significantly from 2011 to 2012. Travelers using an iPad or laptop was up 44 percent, and travelers using a smartphone was up 28 percent.

In the past year, newzealand.com attracted more than 13.8 million visits. Traffic from mobile devices increased 250 percent.

Additionally, mobile referrals to the site were up 1,000 percent from the year before.

?The free-to-download app is a significant addition to TNZ?s suite of digital marketing channels and capitalizes on this increased use of mobile devices by visitors while in the country,? Mr. Anderson said.

?Based on robust user research, the app delivers to users? needs by providing advice they can access on the go without the need for a WiFi connection,? he said.

?The app makes it easier for visitors to connect with tourism experiences, encouraging them to travel more widely and do more paid tourist activities while in New Zealand. This, in turn, helps to maximize the value of international visitors to the New Zealand economy.?

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York