New campaign turns up the heat on West Coast winter travel

Titled “We Like It Wild, Hot and Steamy,” the campaign flips the usual winter narrative, encouraging travellers from New Zealand and Australia to experience the season’s best.

“We wanted to do something a bit different with this campaign,” said Maia Peart-Anderson, DWC’s Trade and Marketing Executive. “It’s playful, attention-grabbing, but also really true to the West Coast.”

“Instead of escaping winter, we’re encouraging people to embrace everything that makes winter on the Coast a great time to visit. Crisp clear days, intense sunsets, cosy accommodation, mineral hot pools and saunas, and superb night skies.”

The campaign, running through to 31 August, features short videos showcasing wild windswept walks, hot crackling fires, and steamy natural hot springs. All content directs viewers to a new winter-themed section of the regional tourism website, westcoast.co.nz.

The campaign’s goal is to boost winter travel and drive traffic to local operators.

Got a favourite West Coast moment? Share it on Instagram and you could be soaking in 2 nights at Maruia Hot Springs.

Whether it’s a rainforest walk, a steamy soak, or just something uniquely West Coast, we want to see your “We Like It” moments.

How to enter:

• Post your photo or video to Instagram using the hashtags #WeLikeItWestCoast and #WestCoastNZ
• Make sure your profile is public so we can see it

Entries close midnight Thursday 31 July 2025