Mount Maunganui's Main Beach has been named New Zealand's best beach by TripAdvisor's 2019 Traveller's Choice awards for the sixth consecutive time.

The rankings are generated by TripAdvisor user reviews and ratings worldwide.

Bay of Plenty beaches feature four times with Pāpāmoa Beach taking out the fourth best beach in New Zealand, Ōhope Beach named the fifth best, and Pilot Bay named the eighth best.

Mount Maunganui's Main Beach has also been named the fourth best beach in the South Pacific, Pāpāmoa Beach number eighteen, and Ōhope Beach number nineteen.

Tourism Bay of Plenty's Chief Executive Officer Kristin Dunne says she's proud to see the Bay feature so heavily in the rankings with the region taking out four of the top ten spots.

'We have an abundance of beautiful coastline on our doorstep. The number of our beaches that have been voted so highly by our manuhiri is a testament to the region and our community. This place is clearly special to so many.”

'I'm pleased to see the region's beaches gaining international recognition. International visitors are a core focus for Tourism Bay of Plenty due to their relatively high average expenditure. Expenditure from international visitors has increased by six per cent in the past year and we are working hard to ensure we target the right visitors at the right times of the year.”

'Tourism Bay of Plenty's Visitor Economy Strategy 2018-2028, which commenced on the 1st of July 2018, is a strategy for sustainably and regeneratively managing the destination. We want to achieve a balance between tourism growth and protection of our natural taonga.”

'I applaud Dive Zone Tauranga, EnviroHub and the more than 60 volunteers who dove for and picked up rubbish from Pilot Bay on the 3rd of March.

"The kaitiaki of our environment from our community is what ensures our beaches remain beautiful for locals and visitors to enjoy.”