Unlock New Zealand Sales: Avanti & Tourism NZ Offer F.I.T. Campaign, Advisor Contest, and Client Rewards – Act by April 30, 2026!

Year-Round Destination for Active Travel, Nature, Indigenous Culture, Wine, Scenic Trains

 

Portland, Oregon, March 24, 2026 – Tourism New Zealand and custom F.I.T tour operator Avanti Destinations have launched a campaign to promote independent travel to New Zealand, a booking contest for advisors, and a repeat traveler reward program for F.I.T.* clients, both running through April 30, 2026.

 

The top three advisors with the most New Zealand bookings, each with a minimum of three hotel nights by the end of the contest will earn gift cards worth $300, $150, and $50. Advisors’ clients who have purchased $3,000 or more in land services anywhere with Avanti within the past 12 months will earn $150 off any booking of three or more hotel nights in New Zealand made by April 30, 2026, with travel taking place by December 31, 2026.

 

“The contest and repeat traveler reward give advisors and their clients just one more reason to choose New Zealand for their vacation, in addition to the country’s spectacular landscapes from beaches to fjords and glaciers, active travel opportunities, immersive experiences with indigenous Maori culture, vineyards and award-winning wines, scenic trains, as well as filming locations for Lord of the Rings, the Hobbitt, and other movies,” said Paul Barry, CEO of Avanti Destinations. “New Zealand is a year-round destination, ideal for families and independent adult travelers alike.”

 

Avanti sells custom F.I.T. itineraries to international destinations exclusively through travel advisors, not directly to consumers.

 

Places to visit

Key places to visit include: the capital Auckland, built on 48 dormant volcanic cones with panoramic views, the world’s largest Polynesian population, black-sand beaches, and world-class dining; Rotorua, the heart of indigenous Maori culture, geysers, hot springs, and Waitomo Caves with their bioluminescent glowworms; Waiheke Island, a 40-minute ferry ride from Auckland with white sand beaches, vineyards, and a thriving arts scene; Queenstown, known as the “Adventure Capital of the World”, with its dramatic Alpine scenery, ziplining, bungee jumping, hiking, biking, and vibrant nightlife; Franz Josef, where a glacier ends in a temperate rainforest, with natural hot springs, glacier heli-hiking, kayaking on Lake Mapourika, viewing native kiwi birds;  Central Otago, a premier stargazing destination and wine region; and the Otago peninsula, home to rare wildlife, including the yellow-eyed penguin.

 

Best-selling F.I.T. products

Avanti’s portfolio of products for independent travelers going to New Zealand includes four customizable vacation packages, 99 three-, four-, and five-star hotels, and 166 sightseeing tours and experiences in 16 cities and towns.

 

The company’s best-selling package is a 14-day/13-night self-drive itinerary, New Zealand Discovery, that includes both the North and South islands, staying in Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Franz Josef. Also included: five days of car rental on the North Island, six days on the South Island; small group Waitomo Caves tour; entrance to Polynesian lake spa; Te Po indigenous evening experience with dinner and performance; private tour of the national museum, Te Papa; ferry from Wellington to Picton; Coastal Pacific train ride from Picton to Christchurch; small group Milford Sound tour by coach and cruise; Tranz Alpine train Greymouth to Christchurch; accommodations, daily breakfast, private arrival transfer.  The other three packages are for eight, nine and ten-day durations.

 

Advisors can create a custom New Zealand vacation by calling to speak with an Avanti destination specialist.  The complete list of New Zealand products is on the company’s advisor portal https://book.avantidestinations.com.  The South Pacific microsite https://southpacific.avantidestinations.com/ describes the four New Zealand packages as well as  highlighted tours and experiences. Advisors can use the microsite to get an instant real-time quote for any package once they enter hotel type, number of rooms, duration and arrival date.

 

Advisors can find a recording of an Avanti/Tourism New Zealand webinar here: https://content.avantidestinations.com/videos/marketing_webinars/2025/12_December/12092025_Fall_In_Love_With_New_Zealand.mp4

 

Best-selling tours and experiences

Among Avanti’s 166 tours and experiences in New Zealand that can be included on a custom-crafted New Zealand itinerary: 4-hour small group heli-hike tour on Fox glacier where clients don crampons and explore ice caves and other formations; 6-hour private coast to coast beaches tour with picnic lunch from Auckland, with stops on a black-sand beach, bird colony, the picturesque Tamaki Drive, and walk through Domain Winter Gardens; 2-day/1-night Fjordland (Milford Sound) cruise on a catamaran – and time to explore in sea kayaks – from Queenstown;  10-hour small group Tranz Alpine train tour of Arthur’s Pass National Park with lunch from Christchurch, traveling through the Waimakariri gorge, the high mountains of the Southern Alps, and Arthur’s Pass – one of the shooting locations for The Chronicles of Narnia;  5.5 hour small group Essence of Waiheke wine tour with lunch and wine-tastings; 7.5-hour private tour of Otago Peninsula focused on wildlife and featuring Larnach Castle, the village of Portobello, the Royal Albatross Centre, the Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance [OPERA] (home of the endangered yellow-eyed penguin); 4.5-hour small group tour of Mount Cook highlights, including driving through the Kawarau Gorge, over the Kawarau suspension bridge, the Cromwell fruit and wine region, crossing Lake Dunstan, through Lindis Pass, and then enter Aoraki National Park to see Lake Pukaki.  

 

For more information or to book custom-crafted, multi-destination F.I.T. travel 365 days a year in the South Pacific, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, North Africa, or the Middle East, log onto the advisor portal https://book.avantidestinations.com or call 1-800-422-5053 to speak with an expert regional travel specialist.  

              

Since 1981, Avanti Destinations has been selling independent travel products and custom-crafted vacations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the South Pacific, and Central and South America. The Portland, Oregon-based wholesale tour operator offers a wide range of FIT components to travel advisors only, including air, rail, rental cars, hotels, sightseeing/attractions, transfers and hard-to-find experiential travel options.  Avanti specializes in hand-picked, locally-owned hotels in both large and small cities and in connecting all the pieces of complex, multi-destination itineraries. The company also creates complete packages for custom groups of 10-100 passengers. For more information: https://book.avantidestinations.com.