Newspaper Article 1994 – Showing where to have a good time

Showing where to have a good time

A Singaporean photographer visiting Hawke’s Bay to shoot pictures for the New Zealand Tourism Board says he plans to visit New Zealand again and again.

Visiting New Zealand for the first time this week, Lip Sang Tan, a medical photographer from the University of Singapore, said he found the country both beautiful and fascinating.

Mr Tan, who was chosen for the job by Kodak Singapore, is spending a week visiting Christchurch, Mount Cook, Napier and Auckland with a group of New Zealand Asian models.

Yesterday they started the morning at the McDonald’s orchard and packing centre in Tannery Rd, which is owned by Napier man Ross Beaton.

The Hawke’s Bay Tourism Board’s marketing officer, Sandra Ham, said that rather than getting the traditional shot of European models, the week was aimed at getting good shots of Asians having a good time in New Zealand.

Asian people could relate to pictures of other Asians having a good time in New Zealand. During their visit to Hawke’s Bay, the group planned to include visits to orchards, vineyards, fruit stalls, and have a farm-stay dinner. They also planned to see art deco buildings, street scenes in Emerson St and sheep crutching, Ms Ham said.

Some of the pictures will be used to promote Hawke’s Bay at two travel fairs in Kuala Lumpar and Singapore in March.

However, the group’s escort, Graham Palmer, from the New Zealand Tourism Board, said the main aim of the exercise was to update the board’s photo library for the Asian market.

The Hawke’s Bay Tourism Board is hosting Mr Tan and the models during their stay.

Ms Ham said Hawke’s Bay was lucky to have them here as they were only visiting four regions in New Zealand.

The growth of the Asian market to New Zealand was staggering, with an increase of 67 per cent in the Taiwanese market and 82 per cent in the Korean market in the year to April 1993 compared with the previous year.

There was the potential for numerous Asian visitors to Hawke’s Bay, she said.

Photo caption – Mr Tan photographs, from left, Joanne Chong, Helen Chen, Ronnie Chong and David Chen.