First, New Zealand wanted to get on the map. Now, it's annoyed that travelers have flocked to its lookouts and lavender fields to post the same photos everyone else is sharing on social media. "People have been seeing those photos on social media, and they're going to great lengths to copy them," comedian Tom Sainsbury says in a new ad from the country's tourism board, per CNN. "You know them: 'hot tub back shot,' 'man sits quietly on the rock contemplating,' 'hot dog legs,' and the classic one in these parts, the 'summit spread eagle.'" Posing as a member of the "Social Observation Squad," Sainsbury urges travelers to "share something new" because "this summer we're cracking down on anyone traveling under the social influence."
He's seen interrupting a couple having a photo shoot on a popular mountain top. "I've seen all this before. We all have," he tells the couple before taking them to a winery for a bike tour. Alerted to another "suspect," Sainsbury races to a lavender field where he finds only a fedora. "We've missed them," he says, beginning to cry. "It's just really hard sometimes, you know, 'cause there are so many great other photos to take besides your usual glam shots." Travelers who post original photos using the hashtag #DoSomethingNewNZ can win a travel voucher worth $350, per Yahoo. Interestingly, the 2.5-minute ad was released on YouTube on the same day that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the country's borders would be closed to most travelers for the majority of 2021. (More New Zealand stories.)
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