Marketing general manager Brodie McLeish said New Zealand offers a holistic view of wellness compared to the approach of purchasing it, whether that be products or studio visits.
The country’s natural environment stands out in the competitive market – rather than paying for a cold ice bath plunge, visitors could “take a dip in a glacial lake”.
“Not only can you come down to New Zealand and get a reset, but you can actually do that, you know, in just a week,” McLeish said, noting the US market has limited paid time off compared to others.
Māori culture and manaakitanga (hospitality, generosity) also offer a distinct experience only available in Aotearoa.
“We think we’ve got a really interesting wellness proposition when you couple wellness tourism with te ao Māori and the te ao Māori view, so that connection to people, connection to place, and connection to others and yourself,” McLeish said.
This prompts a return to New Zealand’s tourism roots of geothermal wonders and Māori hospitality.
In the 1800s, Rotorua’s Pink and White Terraces initially attracted attention from visitors from around the world, and interest was maintained after their destruction with the subsequent creation of unique geothermal offerings.
Tourism growth continued into the 1900s with claims the mineral hot pools were healing, spurring the birth of the Rotorua Bath House – the first of the Government’s investments in tourism, in 1908.
Rotorua’s historic Bath House is now the Rotorua Museum, which has been closed for restoration and strengthening since 2016.
Rotorua still offers geothermal wellness experiences that are unique globally, including the new Wai Ariki wellness spa on the waterfront, among many options.
Wai Ariki is inspired by te ao Māori and describes itself as a “Māori cultural wellness destination, where luxury spa experiences and geothermal bathing are guided by the healing traditions of local iwi, Ngāti Whakaue”.
Rotorua is just one of the destinations highlighted in the campaign. The wairua (spirit) in Northland’s kauri forest, a cold plunge in Kaikōura’s chilly waters and journeys to the mountain lakes of Nelson or Auckland’s Waitākere Ranges also feature.
Rotorua offers many unique geothermal wellness experiences. Photo / Tourism New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand is flying American wellness influencer Liz Moody over to showcase Aotearoa’s offerings to a US audience during a seven-day reset.
The US is New Zealand’s second-biggest tourism market, contributing $2.18 billion to the economy in the year to June 2026. McLeish described it as high value and “extremely vital”.
“It’s got great momentum as well, it’s 105% recovered, and holiday arrivals are 110% recovered since pre-Covid.”
Tourism New Zealand is hoping to grow the Studio New Zealand campaign beyond the US market, but continuation will depend on results.
“I think we’ve got all of the pieces there to have this continue on for a few years.”
Grace Symmans is a Wellington-based reporter who covers news in the capital. Grace joined NZME in 2025 as a producer for Wellington Mornings on Newstalk ZB. She can be emailed at grace.symmans@nzme.co.nz.