Promotions and events in Tauranga are set to get a boost with the creation of a promotions hub around Tourism Bay of Plenty's new Wharf St offices.

Tourism Bay of Plenty's Rhys Arrowsmith in the new office, which will be a Tauranga promotions hub. Photo by Daniel Hines.

General manager Rhys Arrowsmith is excited about the recent shift to offices in the former Wharf St restaurant site overlooking the harbour. With Downtown Tauranga shifting into adjoining offices next month – and hopes of attracting a Tauranga events agency – all organisations would benefit from being so close, says Rhys.

'It's about getting the working space close, so we work hand-in-hand,” says Rhys, who envisages benefits including making it easier for the organisations to keep informed of each other's initiatives and encouraging helpful collaboration.

'It could be to work together to attract a major event, like the AIMS Games, where it really helps having Tauranga events involved early.”

Downtown Tauranga manager Kirby Weis is looking forward to the shift, saying it is always positive to work closely with organisations with similar aims to promote the area.

Rhys says the new offices, which Tourism Bay of Plenty shifted into a fortnight ago, are also the perfect spot to host visitors with its view out to the harbour 'the crown jewels”. But he stresses the shift is costing no more than its former Willow St offices.

The view out his window reminds him of the coastal Bay of Plenty's key appeal to its major market – the many domestic visitors drawn here for the beach and relaxing.

In keeping with the Mount's reputation for the surf and beaches, Rhys has taken the literal approach in setting up the shared board room. It has been dubbed the Ted Davison Board Room, with a vintage surfboard made by the former Mount Maunganui manufacturer being the main plank of the boardroom table, cradled by old pier sidings from the port.

'It's a bit of fun and it's what we're all about,” says Rhys, who describes Ted – who has owned the Cosy Corner holiday park in Mount Maunganui for 45 years – as an icon in the tourism industry.

The camp – which is now only one of four in the Mount area compared to 14 when Ted bought it in 1968 – is the type of place which accommodates some of the 75 per cent of the 4.4 million visitor bed nights to the region under the ‘visiting friends and relatives' category (baches, apartments, backpackers and at friends' places).

Latest figures show the region's visitors comprise 72 per cent domestic, 16 per cent international and 12 per cent cruise ship. Tourism Bay of Plenty is playing to all fields with the aim of retaining the domestic holidaymakers, while focusing strongly on attracting more international visitors and the domestic conference market.