One Flight campaign named Waikato Business Awards finalist

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism’s One Flight campaign has been named a finalist in the Kiwibank Marketing category at the 2026 Waikato Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, recognising a collaborative international marketing campaign which generated an estimated $5.4 million in visitor spend across the central North Island.

Developed by Hamilton & Waikato Tourism (HWT), One Flight was created to capitalise on the return of international flights to Hamilton Airport and position Hamilton as a gateway for Australian visitors to explore the central North Island.

The campaign was delivered in collaboration with Venture Taranaki, Visit Ruapehu and Destination Great Lake Taupō, alongside Waitomo visitor operators and key industry partner Jetstar.

Supported by $459,250 from the Government’s Regional Tourism Boost Fund and $32,000 of RTO co-investment, the campaign targeted potential visitors in Sydney and the Gold Coast between February and June 2026.

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism General Manager Nicola Greenwell said being selected as a finalist was welcome recognition for a campaign the team was immensely proud of.

“One Flight started with a very simple proposition – it takes just one flight to Hamilton to access countless experiences across the heart of the North Island.

“But behind this simple proposition was a significant collaborative effort involving our neighbouring Regional Tourism Organisations, Jetstar, Hamilton Airport and tourism and hospitality operators across the central North Island.

“We had a rare opportunity with the return of international flights to Hamilton, and we wanted to turn this new connectivity into tangible economic benefit for our communities.”

The campaign delivered results well above expectations.

Independent in-terminal research found 24% of Australian visitors surveyed had been influenced by One Flight. This represented an estimated 2,982 visitors, and $5.4 million in visitor expenditure – an indicative return of $11.70 into the visitor economy for every dollar of government funding invested.

Jetstar also reported Australian point-of-sale bookings increased by approximately 70% compared with the same period in 2025.

Across HWT campaign channels, One Flight generated more than 13 million impressions, alongside more than 21 million impressions through Jetstar and more than 3,100 booking-related clicks to the Jetstar booking platform.

Greenwell said one of the campaign’s greatest strengths was the collective approach.

“Visitors don’t travel according to council or RTO boundaries. They fly into Hamilton and then explore.

“One Flight allowed us to tell a connected central North Island story and reach Australian audiences at a scale none of us could easily achieve alone.

“For us, success isn’t simply about marketing reach. It is about getting people on planes, encouraging them to stay longer and explore further, and ultimately generating economic benefit for businesses and communities.

“To have One Flight recognised as a Waikato Business Awards finalist is something our small team is incredibly proud of – and recognition we share with all of the regional and industry partners who helped make it happen.”