Tauranga City councillors are supporting Tourism Bay of Plenty's bid for investment in the city's tourist facilities.
The draft annual plan, which will be going for public consultation, will include a proposal to pay $150,000 to revamp the portable i-Port tent.
The city is looking at rebuilding the old i-Site.
The tent is used to greet cruise ship passengers at the Port of Tauranga and to look into rebuilding the former i-site in Salisbury Avenue.
Other measures include increasing yearly operational expenditure funding to Tourism Bay of Plenty by $150,000 for the provision of visitor services. It makes up a shortfall in funding caused by increased activity, particularly at the i-Port.
The proposal is to pay for it through an increase of the targeted economic development rate on commercial properties.
The one-off $150,000 will also come from commercial rates. It will keep the i-Port operating for another two years while the rebuilt at Salisbury Avenue and the provision of ‘satellite' i-sites at Phoenix carpark and in downtown Tauranga are investigated.
The council is providing another $100,000 in 2016/17 to fund design and consenting work. This would be loan-funded and repaid through commercial rates.
Construction won't start on the new i-Site until the viability of the proposal has been assessed.
Tourism in the coastal Bay of Plenty is a $2.1M a day industry, totalling over $760M in visitor spend each year.
Tourism spend in the Bay of Plenty has grown by 14 per cent over the six years to March 2015, and 12 per cent in just the last year.
More than 40 per cent of international visitors to New Zealand use an i-Site, and 83 per cent of these participate in additional activities due to their visit, equating to statistically higher spend and longer stays.
The i-Port‘s temporary structure services approx. 85,000 cruise passengers per season and counting. Tourism BOP says the current combination of the Willow Street i-Site and the i-Port will not be able to provide a quality service and experience for our visitors.
Led by TBOP for TCC, there's been a thorough review of visitor services in Tauranga over the past six months. The review took account of visitor information services across the whole of the Bay of Plenty, with the aim of having a coordinated approach to branding and servicing throughout the region.
The assessment finds that a new primary i-Site on Coronation Park at Salisbury Avenue in the Mount would provide a fit-for purpose solution for the future.
This is the same location as the old i-Site closed in 2012 due to financial constraints and the inappropriateness of the building.
With the growth in cruise visitor numbers, the site provides a potentially efficient option that can serve that market and the other major visitor markets well.
The new i-Site on Salisbury Avenue/Coronation Park would include an area reserved primarily for servicing cruise ship passengers, alongside the main visitor information area. A new pedestrian access may be considered from the Port.
The site will provide better access for visitors in larger vehicles; tour buses, campervans, making use of agreed parking upgrades on Nikau Crescent. The proposed i-Site will also profit from previously agreed upgrades to pedestrian access and the streetscape at this site.
It is also be close enough to the centre of the Mount to service residents, ‘friends and relatives' and independent travellers.
The proposed structure could potentially also support events at Coronation Park and be used for other community purposes during the June-September non-cruise ship times.
Tourism Bay of Plenty is contracted by Tauranga City Council to provide information services to visitors to the city, primarily through the i-Site on Willow Street and the i-Port that welcomes cruise passengers into the city and region.
9 comments
Stalling
Posted on 28-01-2016 08:45 | By RawPrawn
The Salisbury Avenue site has always been the obvious solution. With up to 85000 cruise ship visitors annually, why has it taken TCC et al so long to figure?? Any other Council would have the thing up and running by now. Enough money spent on 'investigation', just do it! Oh, and why is Port of Tauranga not involved - they're profiting out of this too!
Inconvenient questions that need answers
Posted on 28-01-2016 10:11 | By Annalist
How can an increase in activity cause more expenses? Surely it would lead to increased revenue due to increased sales? Also why isn't TBOP held accoutnable for its decision to close the existing Salisbury Rd information centre? Instead with this Council, they're rewarded with even more ratepayers money.
Stalling NO! Just useless decision making
Posted on 28-01-2016 13:48 | By PJM
The council and TBOP should be ashamed of themselves. The information office was closed years ago because of financial constraints so they have wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars with make shift alternatives while they sit around discussing this. That money could have been spent on the information office which was ideal... the container info office on the dock is only available to ship people.. and closes way to early... Really has the tourist number increasing just snuck up on them... is this a shock to them... that there are more ships... there are third world countries that do a better job with their tourists. Two many people being paid to much to do nothing but just enough to keep them employed. How much time has been wasted and will be wasted not to mention the thousands of dollars.
Hypocritical Disaster
Posted on 28-01-2016 17:06 | By Jitter
It is time Tourism Bay of plenty was wound up together with Priority One.They are both parasite organisations who only survive through large subsidies from Tauranga ratepayers.If they were any good at what they are supposed to do they would be able to fund themselves. TBOP wanting to move the Mount IC back to where it was 3 years ago is frankly very obviously total incompetance in moving it in the first instance. If it was losing money in the first place moving it to an out of the way site would not make it earn much more if any additional funds. Having the cheek to ask for additional funds just shows how incompetant these people are. TCC should give a big fat NO to the request for additional funds. I hope for once TCC will listen to those ratepayers who do put forward their views and opinions.
And the wheels on the bus go around and around
Posted on 28-01-2016 17:54 | By MarkFive
What a history of wasted time, money and opportunity, not to mention the discontent felt by many visitors, residents and businesses alike. Council seems to allow the TBOP 'network', to focus on the business of regulation/sales of tourism services, instead of fulfilling their purpose as an official promotion/marketing organisation. Now, it is implied that TBOP
Why don't tourism businesses pay?
Posted on 28-01-2016 18:51 | By Annalist
If TBOP is doing such a good job why aren't tourism businesses lining up to give the organisation money? Why instead is the general business ratepayer pinged again and again? Please don't fall for this trickle down through the economy stuff. Tourism businesses are the direct benefitors and should pay up or close up.
We need a new, fresh approach
Posted on 28-01-2016 19:11 | By JimmyUS
Having done my fair share of traveling, and being involved in the international tourism industry for over 25 years, I can honestly say that I have never come across such a situation that continues to prevail in the Bay of Plenty and more specifically, Tauranga & Mt Maunganui tourism industry. The Tourism Bay of Plenty office must surely have the worst public relations track record of any tourism office in New Zealand. For many years, I have followed the ongoing neglect and division that has already cost our industry many growth opportunities and failed businesses. It really is time for a totally new, fresh approach, with a tourism organization that we can all be proud of, and want to deal with. Some of us don
Spin
Posted on 01-02-2016 13:33 | By LocalJoe
I am confused and very concerned
Posted on 08-02-2016 13:35 | By EFPClub
I moved to Tauranga last year and have followed the tourism industry in the BOP with keen interest in the hope I might be able to provide a service for the tourist that come here every year. However that is fast becoming a thought of disrepair and frustration not only for my self but also for the many business's who are being slapped with more and more conditions and costs. Walking through the City Of Tauranga each week is a little like watching it turn into a ghost town. Doors are closing yet "Tourism in the coastal Bay of Plenty is a $2.1M a day industry, totaling over $760M in visitor spend each year"? I just want to know why, but when the question is asked all I get is ask TCC and Tourism BOP? Why are business's closing when they should be growing and improving not shutting doors
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