Thousands of Londoners could get itchy feet and be tempted to head to New Zealand on a gap year due to a new marketing initiative being held close to the iconic Tower Bridge.
Though the UK has long been one of New Zealand's largest sources of international tourists, a 25-metre-high rugby ball has been installed in the capital in a bid to showcase the attractions of the country and boost visitor numbers even further.
Timed to coincide with the draw for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which is to be held in New Zealand, the exhibition housed inside the giant ball was officially opened by the Queen, Prince Philip and London mayor Boris Johnson.
Once inside, visitors are treated to a multimedia exhibition showcasing the beaches, mountains and cities of New Zealand, and tourism chiefs are confident that the unique initiative will prompt thousands of Brits to book their travel insurance and head half way around the world.
"Many curious people - particularly with some interest in New Zealand - are drawn to the ball and once they have seen the audio visual show inside they come out talking about booking their ticket," Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton explained.
Over recent years, tourism numbers to New Zealand have soared on the back of the release of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was filmed across the country's two islands.
Downunder, experts for
great travel insurance when travelling to the land of the long white cloud.
