An ambitious New Zealand tourism campaign targeting Australians is being widely mocked at home and around the world, with comparisons to a clearance sale.

The country’s new NZ$500,000 ($451,000) campaign was only unveiled on Sunday, but already has spread globally – although for all the wrong reasons.

The “Everyone must go” campaign is aimed mostly at Australians, who are New Zealand’s biggest tourism market.

Kiwi Tourism Minister Louise Upston said the ads, which featured photos of the country’s top tourist destinations, were designed to signal that New Zealand is “open for business”.

Tourism is a major industry for NZ, which had 3.3 million visitor arrivals last year, up 12 per cent on 2023.

But Australian visitor numbers are at only 88 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Upston said the month-long campaign emphasised “great deals” and invited visitors to enjoy New Zealand’s natural wonders.

But opposition Labour tourism spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel wasn’t impressed.

“I thought, ‘surely not’,” she said when she heard Sunday’s announcement.

“I mean, it makes New Zealand sound like we’re in a clearance bin at a sale … the irony of that messaging is, that’s how Aotearoa New Zealanders are feeling right now. There’s been so many cuts, so people feel like ‘well, what’s not on the list of cuts’.”

The NZ Greens tourism spokeswoman Celia Wade-Brown saw other connotations.

“I think ‘Everyone must go’ might refer to the need for toilets in some of our high-tourist spots. I mean, the queues are ridiculous,” she said.

Critics have also weighed in on social media.

“No crocs, no snakes, no killer spiders, no cane toads, no 50-degree heat, no red dirt – see you soon,” suggested one as a more direct comparison with Australia.

Another, whose name was given only as Hilda, said there was no need to lure Australians because thousands would be on their way to visit NZ anyway – “the families of the Kiwis that used to live here”.

That’s a cutting reference to the thousands of New Zealanders who have departed for Australia in recent months as the Kiwi economy faces significant challenges.

New Zealand slipped into a recession late last year, with record departures driven by concerns about high living costs and lack of job opportunities.

Stats NZ said on Monday the country of five million people had a net migration loss of 47,100 citizens in 2024. More than half went to Australia.

“If I was in a [government] seeing record emigration, I simply would not pick ‘everyone must go’ as a slogan,” another critic said.

The ‘Everyone must go’ campaign follows a change to visa rules last month to make it easier for digital nomads to work in New Zealand.

“Making the country more attractive to ‘digital nomads’ – people who work remotely while travelling – will boost New Zealand’s attractiveness as a destination,” Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis said.

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said the visa change reflected the realities of the modern, flexible working environment.

“This is a brand-new market of tourist New Zealand can tap into,” she said.

“We want people to see our country as the ideal place to visit and work while they do it.”

Those wanting to work remotely for more than 90 days should look at possible tax implications, Stanford said.

“The change will enable many visitors to extend their stays, which will lead to more money being spent in the country.”

-with AAP