Faced with the global credit crunch and rising airfares, long-haul countries are having to be more creative in their efforts to entice travellers. And that's especially true for destinations on the other side of the world. Last week, Australia dropped its prosaic "Where the bloody hell are you?" campaign for the more poetic "Come walkabout" promotional films by Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann.

New Zealand - which this year has seen visitor numbers from the UK, its second-largest market, fall by four per cent – has gone the other way with its "What Do You Say UK?" campaign. This sees past visitors enthusing about their holiday adventures in New Zealand. But it is also relying on the help of its creative talent.

The Peter Jackson Lord Of The Rings factor won't be reactivated until his two Hobbit movies are released in 2010 and 2011. But Rhys Darby, of Flight of the Conchords fame, featured in a promotional film earlier this year. And now it's the turn of Ladyhawke singer/songwriter Pip Brown, who appears in a video on the Tourism New Zealand website.

Gregg Anderson, Tourism New Zealand's regional manager for the UK and Europe, said: "New Zealand is a dream destination for British travellers, but that can be a double-edged sword for us as for many Brits, it remains just a dream.

"We're a small country and we're a long way away, so New Zealand's not often in the world news - but there's a strong and distinct Kiwi culture emerging.

"More than one third of our UK visitors are aged between 15 and 35, so New Zealand can only benefit by association from creative ambassadors such as Flight of the Conchords, Rhys Darby, Liam Finn, and Ladyhawke".