| Winner | Tourism New Zealand |
| Marketing initiative | The invitation that brought Michelin to dinner |
| Marketing partner | Special NZ |
| Finalists | Auckland Transport (three initiatives), ChristchurchNZ, Department of Conservation, Fire and Emergency NZ, High Performance Sport NZ, Ministry for Primary Industries, National Cyber Security Centre, NZ Police |
| Judges’ comments | “The entry impressed the judges – across all scoring criteria – with an innovative idea that will add value to our tourism proposition, and therefore New Zealand, for years to come.” |
Dinner invite brings the stars
How one email convinced the Michelin Guide to make a special journey to Aotearoa.
Government organisation Tourism New Zealand has a very clear goal: grow the value of international tourism for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
Tourism is our second-largest export industry. Yet post-Covid, recovery was uneven, with international arrivals sitting at 76% of pre-pandemic numbers.
Research showed food is the fastest growing driver of travel: 68% of travellers plan trips around food, and 87% of those actively considering Aotearoa said local cuisine was an important factor.
But Aotearoa was still not considered a culinary destination – mostly because no global authority had said so.
Tourism NZ looked to the Michelin Guide, which influences 66% of culinary travellers. Destinations with Michelin recognition also see sustained tourism growth.
Knowing its budget couldn’t compete globally through paid media routes, Tourism NZ targeted Michelin directly with an offer it couldn’t refuse.
A Michelin star denotes a place worth “taking a special journey to”. And while Aotearoa didn’t have Michelin stars yet, it did have three billion real ones.
The creative engine of the campaign became the fact that New Zealand is home to some of the world’s most spectacular stargazing environments.
Fine dining underneath the stars
This led to a one-night-only fine dining experience set underneath the stars at Castle Hill in the South Island, with a menu crafted by world-renowned Kiwi chef Ben Bayly.
The experience was gifted the name Pou-O-Kai by local iwi, meaning the restaurant with the most stars. Diners were 50 of the world’s most influential food journalists, critics and digital creators.
“The concept was elegant in its simplicity. Meeting Michelin on their own terms: exceptional food, worth a special journey and elevating it with something only New Zealand could offer,” says Tourism NZ.
Organic coverage created by the diners garnered 8.7-plus million video views and 10-plus million social impressions. It reached 4.39-plus billion globally and earned $108 million in PR value.
Are you in?
Every element of the experience was captured as a film and delivered to Michelin Guide in an email that asked: ‘Tourism New Zealand has a challenge for the Michelin Guide… Are you in?’
Michelin Guide said yes, officially announcing its arrival in Aotearoa in November 2025.
The move generated $23.3-plus million in additional PR value and an earned reach of 872.5 million. Now it’s here, the guide is projected to deliver up to 36,000 extra visitors annually, $185 million more in annual tourism spend and up to $370.95 returned to our economy for every $1 spent, every year.
“This is the result that matters most,” says Tourism NZ. “The campaign created a structural shift in New Zealand’s global culinary standing, one that will support hospitality businesses, regional communities and tourism operators nationwide for years to come.”
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 88, Sept-Nov 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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