The Client
Tongariro Expeditions is the longest-running shuttle service provider for the iconic Tongariro Alpine Crossing, built on over 25 years of local knowledge, safety, and a passion for outdoor adventure.
It is through their variety of transport options that visitors are able to get to and from New Zealand's most famous day walks seamlessly and hassle-free.
The Problem
Since COVID-19, Tongariro Expeditions has been working to rebuild its shuttle volume following years of capacity restrictions, disrupted travel patterns and unexpected weather events.
On top of this challenge, the local shuttle market has become increasingly crowded, with more operators competing for visitors than ever before.
The Solution
Following a successful 2024–2025 season introducing Google Performance Max campaigns to key markets, Tomahawk's focus shifted to scaling those insights to maximise market share and drive growth, particularly across high-value international markets.
Key Google Ads strategies included:
- Dynamic Seasonal Budgeting - Looked at historical booking trends to proactively scale budgets ahead of peak demand surges.
- Expanded Location Targeting - Identified top-performing organic regions and integrated them into paid campaigns during the season.
- Creative Asset Optimisation - Frequently refreshed ad creative and messaging to boost audience engagement.
Climbing their way to Google Ads Success!
The data-driven approach paid off, delivering their highest total online revenue season since COVID-19, with Google Ads contributing to 27% of this. Comparing the 2025/2026 season (Sep–Jun) to the previous season, Google Ads delivered:
Overall Google Ads Performance:
- +93% Users
- +75% Sessions
- +49% Purchases
- +56% Revenue (Highest since COVID)
International Market Growth:
- +336% Users
- +322% Sessions
- +81% Purchases
- +84% Revenue (with select key locations spiking up to +636% revenue)
This was while achieving an extremely impressive Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) of 25.75 and a low cost per conversion of $4.57, indicating a very efficient campaign.
