Plan to boost tourism launches

Tourism BOP CEO Kristin Dunne.

A plan to increase tourism spendng in the Bay of Plenty to a billion dollar industry by 2028 was presented to Tauranga City Council's finance committee today.

Tourism Bay of Plenty plans to increase the annual visitor spend from $901 million in 2016 to $1.45 billion by 2028. That's growth of 60 per cent or four per cent annually.

It will be achieved by increasing overseas visitors from the current mix of 80:20 to 70:30 domestic and international, says Tourism Bay of Plenty CEO Kristin Dunne.

Tourism BOP's draft strategic 10 year plan proposes international visitor spending by 5.3 per cent per annum and growing the domestic visitor spend by 3.7 per cent per annum will also create more than 4000 extra jobs throughout the region via public and private investment, says Kristin.

The plan is the result of collaboration and insight from specialists throughout the country, including Shane Vuletich from Fresh Information Company, Air New Zealand and Tourism Industry Aotearoa.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa New Zealand CEO Chris Roberts and Air New Zealand Regional Affairs Manager Ian Collier unveiled the plan to Tauranga City Council's Economic Development & Investment Committee today.

Tourism Bay of Plenty is seeking feedback on the consultation document from its three funding councils – Tauranga City, Western Bay of Plenty and Whakatane District.

The plan will also be released to the tourism industry at a networking event tonight with consultation running until June 30, 2018.

Chris has reviewed many Regional Tourism Organisations plans and is impressed by Tourism Bay of Plenty's strategy.

'They have identified the opportunities, come up with a tangible set of actions and set a clear vision. Now, with the support of local government and local businesses the strategy can be the catalyst for the Bay's economic and social transformation,” says Chris.

Ian is pleased with the comprehensive strategy and story Tourism Bay of Plenty has created over the last 12 months.

'As a result, we are here to show our support for Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty and Tourism Bay of Plenty's aspiration to grow the visitor economy,” says Ian.

The Coastal Bay of Plenty region encompasses both the Western Bay of Plenty/Tauranga and Whakatane districts.

'Tourism is an intrinsic part of regional economic development and while we believe the prognosis for the Bay of Plenty is very good there is potential to exceed this with support from the public and private sectors and local government,” says Kristin.

'With a strategic approach, tourism can help underwrite the region's economic and social transformation over the next decade.”

To achieve this, increased investment is required to support interventions that reduce barriers to growth, build competitive advantage, and create a unique and compelling visitor proposition, says Kristin.

Tourism Bay of Plenty also plans to take a lead role not only as destination promoter but as destination manager, assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of the product, facilities, services and programs that altogether provide memorable tourism experiences for visitors.

'Undertaking these roles will ensure we are working closely with public and private organisations to make the Coastal Bay of Plenty a more compelling and attractive visitor destination,” says Kristin.

The Visitor Economy Strategy presents a clear aspiration for the contribution tourism makes to the Coastal Bay of Plenty, supported by a tangible set of actions to align thinking, identify opportunities, and direct public and private sector investment in tourism-related initiatives over the next decade.

And to gain a larger share of the national visitor economy the Coastal Bay of Plenty needs to transform itself into a ‘must see' destination with a compelling point of difference for domestic and international visitors.

The composition of the Coastal Bay of Plenty's visitor economy has remained unchanged over the past decade, 80 per cent domestic and 20 per cent international. While destination promotion led to a 36 per cent growth in the last three years, Coastal Bay of Plenty's market share of international visitors remains below the national average.

Coastal Bay of Plenty's 3.6 per cent share of national tourism expenditure remains the same as it was in 2009, while international market share has remained relatively stable at 1.8-1.9 per cent over the same period.

'Natural and built attractions still play a key role in the visitor experience, but a rich social fabric is now a critical success factor for any destination,” says Kristin.

'This has resulted in a shift away from destinations built solely around icons and towards those in which visitors can immerse themselves in the local culture and see and do things that are not available elsewhere.

'The convergence between the visitor experience and the resident experience is being driven by growing demand for authentic experiences, and a desire to understand and interact with the local culture, environment and way of life.”

If implemented, careful management will be required to preserve the Coastal Bay of Plenty's unique identity and ensure that visitor-related developments do not conflict with resident interests, says Kristin.

It's also been identified that the Coastal Bay of Plenty must extract maximum value from its limited resources by targeting the right visitors at the right time of the year – negating the drop off in visitor numbers outside peak season periods.

This strategy will be executed in partnership with Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand, and Tauranga airport and other airport partners. It will focus on four-high value visitor segments; leisure - domestic short-stay visitors; International short-stay visitors; major events; and business events.

The Strategic Plan also reveals the Regional brand story and new brand for Tourism Bay of Plenty and positioning of 'It's in our Nature”, which industry will see tonight at an industry event.

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