19 December 2018

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Summer tourism season

Enquiry

Enquiry to Destination Rotorua:

I am doing a story estimating how busy Rotorua will be through the summer period. Would you be able to comment on this?

What events are on that are expected to bring in large numbers for Rotorua?

How busy are you expected to be over this period?

How do summer months differ from winter months?

Response

Destination Rotorua provided the following comment:

We're looking forward to a good summer! Many Rotorua hotels are already reporting strong forward bookings, which is an early indicator that town will be busy over the next few months.

Our high season in Rotorua now runs from mid-October to mid-April, and the lengthening of that period is the result of a lot of hard work by the visitor industry to bring people here for longer.

We're fortunate in Rotorua to be able to attract big summer events like the Tarawera Ultramarathon, ZM's Float, the Lakeside concert and Crankworx. These help to draw domestic visitors from out of town and also add to the vibrancy of the city for international visitors. Not only do these visitors attend the events but they also spend money on accommodation, hospitality, retail and attractions, so the economic benefit is felt widely through the community.