There is some suggestion that the 'Everyone must go' slogan could be a directive for Kiwis to leave the country amid record emigration levels, international media have reported. Photo: Supplied / Air New Zealand
New Zealand's new tourism slogan 'Everyone must go' which aims to attract Australians to visit has hit the international headlines.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Tourism Minister Louise Upston launched the Australian part of the tourism campaign dubbed 'Everyone must go' on Sunday. Upston said it would cost taxpayers $500,000 and would be followed by more campaigns targeting other places.
RNZ then reported that the Greens said the slogan could be applied to the long bathroom queues at local facilities, while Labour said it made New Zealand sound like a clearance-sale item.
US and UK media have reported on the controversy surrounding the catch-phrase calling it tone-deaf as New Zealand battles record emigration, along with the ridicule it has attracted from opposition politicians and Kiwis themselves.
SkyNews reports the slogan has been labelled as tone deaf, as New Zealand deals with record emigration rates and unemployment.
A person on X re-created the ad showing two toilet cubicles and writing "loo paper included", SkyNews reported.
A spokesperson for Louise Upston said the tourism minister was "very pleased with the announcement" and it "has attracted positive feedback".
SkyNews reports that record numbers of people are leaving New Zealand which has a struggling economy.
CNN reports that the slogan has prompted ridicule from opposition politicians and some members of the public.
Labour's tourism spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel said she was concerned that bringing in more tourists would stress the fragile tourist infrastructure, CNN reported.
It also pointed out that New Zealanders were leaving in record numbers.
One Labour lawmaker, Barbara Edmonds, posted on X: "New Zealanders are voting with their feet, leaving in record high numbers - just as the Govt begins focussing on marketing to Australians," CNN reports.
NBC News and other media reported that tourism was important for New Zealand's economy and that last month officials said they were easing visa rules to allow digital nomads to work in New Zealand while visiting on holiday, in the hope they would spend more time there.
Social media users skeptical of the "Everyone Must Go" slogan pointed out another possible use for it, NBC News reported.
"Worth us tucking away to use at the next election," read one comment on the social media platform X, it said.
The Guardian reports that New Zealand's overseas tourism campaigns have a long history of attracting both praise and criticism.
The award-winning 100% Pure New Zealand promotion - now one of the world's longest-running tourism campaigns - is lauded for its catchiness but often scrutinised against New Zealand's inconsistent environmental credentials, The Guardian reported.
The latest catch phrase quickly became the subject of derision within New Zealand, it reported.
Some critics said the tagline was tactless for sounding like a directive to New Zealanders to leave the country amid record high departure rates, The Guardian reported.
"If I was in a [government] seeing record emigration I simply would not pick 'everyone must go' as a slogan," said one social media user.
The BBC said the tourism tagline could either be taken as "a well-meaning plea for people to visit - or a threat to kick Kiwis out".
The phrase had been accused of being tone-deaf, as New Zealand dealt with record emigration rates and unemployment, the BBC reported.
The government defended the campaign with Luxon saying he appreciated "there's lots of chat about whether everyone loves the slogan or not" and the fact that people were talking about it was a good thing, the BBC reported.
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