Visitors travelling into Whakatane along Landing Road will now have no doubt they're in the right place to begin their White Island/Whakaari experience.

Whakatāne District Council has installed the first in a series of NZ Transport Agency co-funded destination signs highlighting Whakatāne as the ‘Gateway to White Island'.

Whakatāne District Council business services manager Roslyn Barlow says the uniqueness of the White Island/Whakaari experience is a point-of-difference that no other region in New Zealand has.

'White Island/Whakaari is a world-class tourism destination and by leveraging Whakatāne as the gateway to White Island, we can look to draw more international and domestic travellers to the area.”

Roslyn says the Council has been working closely with Tourism Bay of Plenty, Tourism New Zealand, and Tourism Industry Aotearoa.

'The consistent message we're getting from industry experts is that White Island/Whakaari is the jewel in our crown.

'If we focus on the opportunities available to us through this regional treasure, we have the potential to see a significant lift in the tourism economy for Whakatāne and the wider eastern Bay of Plenty.”

Whakatāne District Council manager transportation, Martin Taylor says the Whakatāne District Council has installed the first in a series of destination signs, co-funded by NZTA and the Council.

'The signs are highly visible, both day and night, and will be installed in key locations from Matatā, through Whakatāne and Ōhope and out along Wainui Road.”