A campaign to get Bay of Plenty residents exploring and experiencing the region's top attractions for themselves is back for another year.

Tourism Bay of Plenty's ‘Mates Rates – for Locals Only' promotion offers discounts of up to 50 per cent to locals only, for some of the area's top tourism-related venues and activities.

Reave Arrowsmith, 11, and friends at Waimarino Adventure Park, one of the discounted attractions in this year's campaign. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Tourism BOP general manager Rhys Arrowsmith says more than 20 operators have signed up for this year's campaign, running from November 30 to December 8.

Experiences on offer include bloKart Recreation Park, the new Experience Comvita interactive tour, White Island Tours out of Whakatane, and Wairmarino Adventure Park.

Rhys believes an important step in growing the Bay's tourism industry is making sure locals are aware of what's on offer.

'Our research has shown that the Bay has more than 3.1million visitor nights per annum, and many of these visitors are coming here to stay with friends or relatives, in particular during the Christmas and summer holiday period.

'These visitors rely on their local hosts to recommend things to do and see, but often our own residents are not aware of, or have not experienced the local attractions themselves.

'Through the ‘Mates Rates' campaign, we are encouraging locals to become ambassadors for local tourism operators by recommending activities to their friends and families.”

The campaign was launched last year, running from December 8-16 and following a similar tourism programme in Rotorua.

For more information on the ‘Mates Rates – for Locals Only', go to www.bayofplentynz.com.

SunLive has a double adult pass to Waimarino Adventure Park to giveaway to a lucky reader who can tell us when the promotion is running.

Enter on click here. Entries close November 27.

‘Mates Rates' discounted operator activities include:

- Armazen Restaurant

- Adventure Sail

- Blokart Recreation Park

- Café Versailles

- Comvita Visitor Experience

- Dolphin Seafari

- Element Watersports

- Fernland Spa

- Freewheeling Tours and Bike Hire

- Hibiscus Surf School

- Horse trekking

- Katikati Bird Gardens

- Kewpie Cruises

- Kiwi 360

- Lake McLaren Scenic Kayak Tour

- Mt Maunganui Hot Pools

- Mount Surf Academy

- NZ Kayaker

- Otumoetai Golf Club

- SunAir Scenic flights

- The Elms Mission House and Gardens

- Waimarino Adventure Park

- Waimarino Glow Worm Kayak Tour

- Waimarino Wairoa River Cruises

- Whakatane Maori Marae Experience

- White Island Tours