‘Everyone Must Go’: New Zealand’s tourism slogan backfires amid record emigration

A new campaign encouraging Australians to pick New Zealand for their next holiday has drawn ire for its campaign slogan "Everyone must go" amidst record-high emigration in the country. According to media intelligence firm CARMA, the campaign has drawn mixed reactions with conversations being 17.5% positive and 38.7% negative. 

The campaign saw comments praising its boldness while others criticised it as insensitive, said CARMA. This is especially since the campaign was released on the heels of high emigration rates and unemployment being a challenge in New Zealand. Words associated to the campaign includes terms such as "concerns", "emigration" and "citizens". 

The government has since defended the campaign, with New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon saying that he appreciates that there's lots of chat about whether everyone loves the slogan or not. In fact, the fact that people are talking about it is a great thing, added Luxon. 

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However, politicians in the opposition Labour Party have taken to various media platforms to share their thoughts on the campaign. Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, tourism spokesperson for the Labour Party told local news outlet RNZ that the new slogan makes New Zealand sound like it's in a clearance bin at a sale. 

The irony of that messaging is that's how Aotearoa New Zealanders are feeling right now, said Tangaere-Manuel, hinting at the job cuts to the public sector over the past year. Just earlier on Monday (17 February), Bloomberg reported that New Zealand has seen a record number of departures amid weak economy, high living costs and deep recession. Departures rose to 128,705 last year, this is up from 101, 575 in 2023. 

Meanwhile, Labour Party's Barbara Edmonds, MP for Mana, took to X to point out the government's focus on Australians. "New Zealanders are voting with their feet, leaving in high record numbers - just as the government begins focussing on marketing to Australians," said Edmonds. 

"Is their real tourism plan 'Everyone must go' for Kiwis?" she added. 

The tourism campaign was first unveiled on Sunday (16 February), underscoring the government's commitment to drive international tourism alongside economic growth. 

“What this Tourism New Zealand campaign says to our Aussie mates is that we’re open for business, there are some great deals on, and we’d love to see you soon," said tourism and hospitality minister Louise Upston during the campaign launch. 

“The campaign tagline of ’Everyone must go’ lets Australia know that New Zealand is a ‘must visit’ destination, and that we’re ready and waiting to welcome them now," she added. 

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