Winter visitors on increase

High-quality events, increased retail opportunities and a thriving restaurant culture are some of the reasons why the Bay of Plenty has increased visitor spend in a typically quiet period, says Tourism Bay of Plenty CEO Kristin Dunne.

The Bay of Plenty is a top performing region in the tourism sector, drawing in $63 million in visitor spend for the month of July – a typically off-peak season for the coastal location.


File photo.

Kristin says the figure is a credit to Bay residents and organisations, who work hard to create opportunities for growth and development.

'It's a testament to the businesses that look for ways to make our region a vibrant, attractive destination that we are seeing such a positive increase.

'It's also a reflection on our people, who are welcoming and inviting, and make our visitors want to stay longer and enjoy the benefits of the Bay.”

The latest Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates (MRTE), released by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), indicate the region has seen a 12.5 per cent increase in expenditure compared to last July's figures.

This result places the Bay of Plenty ahead of coastal-orientated destinations Northland ($58M), Dunedin ($47M), and Hawke's Bay (38M), as well as international tourist mecca Rotorua ($55M), for the month.

The off-peak season is typically a quiet period for any region, especially one famed for its world-class beaches, sun, and surf, but this month's expenditure has helped to push the Bay's total spending for the year up 8 per cent from 2015, to an estimated annual result of $873M in visitor spend.

'We had a number of drawcards, including the Winter Carnival in Tauranga and the Little Big Markets events, which find ways to operate no matter the weather,” says Kristin.

'It's attractions like this that help build the Bay as a go-to place for both domestic and international visitors.”

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5 comments

More of the same.

Posted on 02-09-2016 11:28 | By Angela (Mt Maunganui)

So easy to simply report the supplied stats time after time. So tell us Kristin, what exactly has your tourism organisation done to directly benefit and improve the Bay of Plenty visitor experience for domestic and international visitors? From Waihi to Ohope, any new i-sites, attractions or activities that your organisation has helped become a reality? How about some hands on tourism education and training programs for our youth? What about some much needed tourism development workshops for start up businesses? Have you addressed the i-port dramas of previous years? Why was Bay of Plenty the only region not to appear in the recent On Your Bike NZ Tracks and Trails Coromandel to Southland publication? It is private business development, the housing boom and population growth that are driving the Bay of Plenty region forward, not the work of rates funded reporting agents such as Tourism Bay of Plenty.


@ Angela

Posted on 02-09-2016 13:27 | By Captain Sensible

I agree with you Angela. Tourists are coming here anyway despite, not because of, Tourism BOP.


More Spin?

Posted on 02-09-2016 13:34 | By babyG

Increased retail opportunities? Booming restaurant culture? Not so in the failing downtown Tauranga area. I dont understand when TBOP say everything is going fantastic but just the other day the Chamber CEO Stan Gregec made the comment "Are we going to become the bold, aspirational city of the future, or will we stay stuck and stunted with our current less than impressive achievement?" Who do we believe?


Hear Hear !

Posted on 02-09-2016 13:59 | By Jitter

Well said Angela. Tourism Bay of Plenty, Smart Growth, Priority One (all ratepayer subsidised) are all talk but no action. It is time they got off their backsides and produced something concrete.


Talk it up, and up, and up!!!

Posted on 02-09-2016 16:53 | By JimmyUS

While I agree that Bay of Plenty is a great place to live, let us not get too carried away by the TBOP hype! Downtown Tauranga is dead on its knees with every second or third storefront empty. There is no happy jubilant feeling and no vibrant retail heart! This is a direct consequence of the failure of council and its obedient organisations such a TBOP that continue to praise one another in this way. When it comes to talking things up, TBOP will say anything to justify their existence to their masters and get even more funding to maintain their administrative hold on tourism throughout the Bay of Plenty region.


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