International student numbers at Toi Ohomai i Te Pūkenga in Rotorua is expected to increase by 30 per cent on last year.

Students were officially welcomed to Rotorua by Mayor Tania Tapsell at the Council Chambers on Thursday.

The council has welcomed international students to Rotorua as part of their induction week since at least 2009.

More than 100 Toi Ohomai i Te Pūkenga students, up from around 70 students in 2023, attended the ceremony.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome international students to our city and it’s exciting to see an increasing number of students choose Rotorua as their destination to study,” says Mayor Tapsell.

“Students have often come from countries that are not as safe or secure as ours and they appreciate the opportunities here.

“It’s wonderful to be involved in welcoming students to Rotorua and showcasing the manaakitanga (hospitality) our city is so well known for.

“We are proud to be a diverse and welcoming community.”

Toi Ohomai i Te Pūkenga International Services Manager, Ada Chen, says more than 200 international students are starting their tertiary education journey in Rotorua and Tauranga as part of the February 2024 intake.

“It is great to be able to return to Rotorua Lakes Council for this year’s Mayoral welcome. This ceremony makes our new ākonga feel very special during their orientation week.

“They add value to the learning environment and the community, enabling cultural diversity and competency as well as bringing much needed skills and ideas.”

This intake is made up of students from 32 different countries including China, France, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

“Rotorua has always been a popular place for international students to come and study. We are seeing increasing numbers of international applications, which is growing post Covid.

“We expect a 30 per cent growth of international student enrolments in 2024 compared with 2023 numbers,” Ms Chen says.

At the Toi Ohomai Mokoia Campus in Rotorua most have chosen to study accounting, applied professional studies, agriculture, business, culinary art, English, early childhood education, health, hospitality, management, nursing, tourism and Masters qualifications.