As part of Southern Way's Food & Beverage campaign, the partnership secured Tourism Boost funding to showcase the distinctive food, beverage and hospitality experiences found throughout the lower South Island. One outcome has been an ongoing content partnership with MiNDFOOD, resulting in four editorial features published across New Zealand and Australian audiences.
For Murihiku Southland, the coverage has provided an opportunity to share the region's food story with audiences who may not otherwise be familiar with what the area has to offer. The articles have highlighted everything from local cafés and bakeries to regional produce, seafood, hospitality and scenic food journeys, helping position Southland as part of a broader lower South Island travel experience.
Beyond the immediate readership, the value of the partnership lies in the collective story being told. Through Southern Way, Murihiku Southland is able to be part of a larger visitor story and reach audiences at a scale that would be difficult for any one region to achieve alone. By working alongside neighbouring regions, Southland benefits from being included in visitor journeys that encourage travellers to explore further, stay longer and discover more of what the lower South Island has to offer.
The most recent MiNDFOOD feature, The Best Places for a Real Taste of Southern Hospitality, reached an estimated 300,000 readers across print and digital channels in New Zealand and Australia, providing significant exposure for the destinations and businesses featured.
The partnership has now delivered four editorial features:
- The Best Places for a Real Taste of Southern Hospitality
- NZ's Southern Scenic Route Pairs Dramatic Landscapes With A Vibrant Food Scene
- Flavours of the South
- Discover the Southern Way
A regional approach to destination marketing
For Great South, the partnership demonstrates the value of working collectively to tell the stories that connect the lower South Island. While each article highlights different places, people and experiences, together they help showcase the region's food culture, hospitality and sense of place to potential visitors across New Zealand and Australia.
Southern Way's partnership with MiNDFOOD shows how regional collaboration can amplify the reach of individual destinations. By telling the lower South Island's food story together, the collective is achieving exposure and visibility that would be difficult for any one region to secure on its own, while helping ensure Murihiku Southland remains part of the conversation when travellers are planning their next journey south.
