Tourism Central Otago has partnered with Google New Zealand to capture 360-degree panoramas of several prominent Central Otago trails and attractions – with imagery captured in May and June now available on Google Street View for everyone around the world to see.
Through the support of local businesses and organisations Tourism Central Otago was able to take the Google Street View Trekker into some really interesting locations.
These include a lap of Highlands Motorsport Park, along the length of the Roxburgh Gorge Trail (including the boat trip), through an orchard tour at Jackson Orchards, around the Cromwell Heritage Precinct and even up to the iconic Alexandra clock on the hill.
"The ability to use Google Street View to inspire exploration gives another way for us to connect people to our unique landscapes, and hopefully help encourage them to come and experience the region first hand," says Antz Longman, digital marketing manager for Tourism Central Otago.
Antz says the way people discover, research and book travel is constantly evolving, and Tourism Central Otago is working on several initiatives as part of the region’s Tourism Strategy.
Alongside the Street View imagery, TCO is developing opportunities to upskill local businesses in using digital technology and social media, and to refresh how locals and visitors find out and feel about Central Otago in the digital space. The main focus is a complete rebuild of the www.centralotagonz.com website, which is currently underway with an expected go-live date in March 2020.
