Tourism New Zealand is launching its biggest ever global campaign focused more about people and culture.
Despite years of criticism though, it's not abandoning its "100 per cent pure" slogan.
Since it launched in 1999, Tourism New Zealand's "100 per cent pure" marketing campaign has been primarily focused on showcasing pristine landscapes.
But the organisation's chief executive, Stephen England-Hall, told 1 NEWS it's time New Zealanders tell their stories about their favourite places.
"100% pure New Zealand is misinterpreted by New Zealanders as an environmental standard and I think that's something we need to be really careful about," Mr England-Hall said. "It's intended to create a promise or an idea of what New Zealand's all about to an international audience and that still remains very true."
Marketing expert Bodo Lang said, "It's a risk for us, because we're promising one thing, and tourists arrive here and realise you cant swim in many rivers or in many lakes.
"That's not particularly helpful, clearly New Zealand is not nearly as pure as we all like to think."
However, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis said, "what we're saying is we're 100 per cent Kiwi, we're 100 per cent us and that's the important message."
With the new campaign, every day for the next year a video will be released of a New Zealander from different areas of the country wishing the world good morning.
Tourism numbers continue to grow, despite China "softening off" - with visitors dropping off 20 per cent in the year to April, Mr England-Hall says.
But the greatest challenge remains "to make sure the world remembers that we're here and that they should come and visit us, they should invest in us, they should buy our products," he said.
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