An immersive virtual heritage and culture tour of Te Kūiti has been launched to take the heartland King Country town to a global audience.

Created by Hamilton & Waikato Tourism with support from Waitomo District Council, the virtual Te Kūiti Highlights Tour combines engaging multimedia content with fascinating historical insights to allow visitors to immerse themselves in some stories of Te Kūiti.

Digital tourists can experience iconic landmarks including the Te Kūiti Shearing Statue, Tatsuno Japanese Garden, Te Kūiti and District Historical Charitable Trust Heritage House, Legends Gallery, Sir Colin Meads Statue and the Millennium Pavilion (Te Kūititanga o Ngā Whakaaro).

"This tour offers a new experience in how we share the rich heritage of Te Kūiti with a global audience," says Hamilton & Waikato Tourism Chief Executive Nicola Greenwell.

"It’s an invitation to discover our cultural treasures from anywhere, at any time, inspiring potential visitors to come and walk the town’s streets in person sometime in the future."

"By making the landmarks accessible online, we make its stories and heritage accessible to a broader audience and capture people’s imaginations in an engaging new way."

Waitomo District Council Chief Executive Ben Smit says the digital experience was a fantastic way to enhance how some of the sites and cultural history of Te Kūiti were shared with the world.

"Around the world virtual tours are showcasing places and locations to audiences that wouldn’t otherwise know about them. The Waitomo District has a huge amount to offer, and we’re thrilled to give Kiwis and international visitors a taste through this new digital experience. It's a real celebration of our town, our local icons and their lasting impact," he says.

Te Kūiti Digital Heritage Experience is the third in a series of virtual town tours introduced by Hamilton & Waikato Tourism to highlight the range of cultural, heritage and nature attractions in the region. It follows the Herd of Cows? virtual tour of Morrinsville, launched in April, and the Digital Sir Ed Hillary Walkway Tour of Ōtorohanga, launched last year.