The report from economic consultancy Infometrics shows TikTok has supported more than 9700 jobs and boosted the national economy by an estimated $1.2 billion.
Annas said Rotorua Mini Golf started using TikTok in 2023 after seeing other local tourism businesses using the social media platform.
“We did it with the bunnies first because they’re our biggest drawcard here.”
The first video captured a bunny wearing sunglasses, while another “used her mouth to lift it off her eyes”.
“It was the cutest thing ever.”
Rotorua Mini Golf’s TikTok account has almost 200,000 likes and more than 5000 followers.
The most popular videos were “funny moments with the bunnies”, including one that decided to sleep on one of the holes “so customers couldn’t get to it”.
Annas also made a video comparing her hand to the size of Dobby the 8.5kg bunny.
“People were coming in after seeing that video because they didn’t believe a bunny could be that size.”
The business attracted domestic and international visitors, with many internationals coming from the United States and France, Annas said.
She suggested visitors come at nighttime to do the 18-hole course “because bunnies are daytime sleepers”.
At night, “they’re doing trouble on the courses and running around”.
Customers are not allowed to pick up the rabbits but “gentle pats” are allowed.
The rabbits have hutches and other areas to hide or sleep.
How bunnies joined the course
Annas said the business was established more than 20 years ago. Bunnies were introduced about 16 years ago.
“We found an injured one on the side of the road many years ago. The plan was to either just keep him here and rehome him but people were coming here just to see that particular bunny instead of coming to do the golf course.
Rotorua Mini Golf social media manager April Annas with Tinsel the rabbit. Photo / Megan Wilson
“The owner being his brilliant self and unique self thought that he’d combine the two together and it’s been like that ever since.”
Annas said the business was getting more baby bunnies in a few months.
The TikTok effect
The Infometrics report used Zorb Rotorua as a case study, with its top video nearing 50 million views.
In the report, head of sales and marketing Melissa Craig said Zorb Rotorua began using TikTok in the pandemic’s early months when the social media platform “was exploding”, aiming to widen its reach particularly among younger people.
For Zorb, TikTok was a booking channel and a way to show visitors “what the experience feels like before they arrive”, the report said.
Infometrics chief executive and principal economist Brad Olsen told the Rotorua Daily Post businesses had been working hard to find sales amid a challenging economic environment.
TikTok’s ability to provide “a huge number of eyeballs and views” and converting that into “actual activity” was advantageous for businesses, he said.
“It doesn’t matter what your follower count is. If you’ve got a good video … people really do engage with it.”
Olsen said 15% of businesses who said they used TikTok reported no marketing spend, making it an accessible and “low-cost option” that could generate “substantial returns”.
He said TikTok allowed people to see “what’s on offer” before committing.
“From a tourism point of view, I think TikTok’s a great example of a platform that really gives that ability to go out and bring the content alive.”
A TikTok statement said the report showed about 309,000 Kiwi businesses were using the platform each month for promotion, connecting with customers and supporting their livelihoods.
Fifty-three per cent of TikTok users – equivalent to 671,000 New Zealanders – bought products or services every month after seeing content on TikTok, the report found.
This included visiting restaurants and cafes, attending cultural or sporting events or visiting somewhere new.
It also found about 411,000 Kiwis identified as content creators, with 51% reporting earning income through brand partnerships, in-app gifting or both.
TikTok Australia and New Zealand global business solutions general manager Amy Bradshaw said the report showed the “real and tangible power” of TikTok for business growth.
What started as a platform for content discovery had fast become “one of the most effective commerce and growth channels available”, from local founders scaling their first product to established brands finding entirely new customer bases, Bradshaw said.
“The economic contribution is real, measurable, and growing.”
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.