Tania Tapsell: Rotorua mayor on the city's bid to draw back tourists

Rotorua is hoping to boost its reputation as a top tourism destination - despite some media blowback.

TRENZ, New Zealand’s largest international tourism event, just wrapped up - bringing over 1200 travel buyers from 26 countries into the city.

Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell disagrees with the claims that the city is 'dead' and says the city is 'smashing it' in regards to tourism.

"We were pretty surprised when we saw this very negative media article. Are we surprised... no. Will we fight back? Yes."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now. Ratua is one of the North Island's biggest tourism destinations.
It's been playing host to a big tourism conference this week,
but unfortunately, local business owners say the city feels dead
with fewer visitors than pre COVID. Tanya Tapsle is the
mayor of Rotu and is with us. Now, Hey, Tanya sureder,
what's going wrong?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, I don't know what this journalist is up to
or on, because we have been absolutely smashing it intourism
here in To be honest.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Okay, I'm loving the energy you're bringing to it. I'm
not really that convinced. When adjusted for inflation, Rotru's visitor
spend is sitting at around eighty four percent of what
it was pre COVID.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, you know, people say pre COVID, this pre COVID,
that that was five years ago. And by the way,
we are smashing it with the statistics as well. So
we're pretty surprised when we saw this very negative media article.
We surprised people picking on no, but will we fight back? Yes?
And actually, if you look at the numbers averaging nineteen
thousand visitors a day, So if you think about the

(01:04):
stats that this journalist has chosen to look at spinning
data is only on the credit card. Now, how often
do we book things using online data? So you know,
it's what you choose to pick, and we choose to
pick the positive view.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
But what about all the people who are in little
truer who are talking to this journalist and saying this
is their experience.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, the funny thing about that is she's talking about tourism,
but they haven't actually asked anyone in tourism. A couple
of cafes or rather dodgy looking accommodation provider. And actually
we're hosting the biggest tourism industry event in the country
at the moment called Trends, and we also are sharing
the love on all the great things we're doing. And
we've just launched a Northiland collaboration. So when we go

(01:45):
all the way around the world promoting it all to do,
are we saying, you know what, let's get people around
the North Island. So you know, I really pushed back
on people thinking and trying to say it or to
is not doing good. If you have been here anytime recently,
you would have seen this signal for an investment that's
gone and the place is looking awesome. I even had
the Prime Minister visit at Utuda and say, hey, this

(02:06):
place is really cleaned itself up. It's looking awesome. It
is really going for golf.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Tanya, I understand why. I mean, look, if I was
your comms person as your media manager, I would say, Tanya,
you go out there and you dispel that notion immediately
and get the tourists back in, right, But why would
these cafe owners and the dodgy accommodation provided tell us
and tell the journalists that there aren't as many tourists, Like,
what's in it for them to talk down your town

(02:32):
other than to tell the truth.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Look, it's easy for people to dig their own hole. Right.
I don't know what day of the week this lady
went to go ask us them. But the reality is
across our hotels we have seen year on year increases,
whether that's occupancy, even the daily right that they charge.
You know, we really are and always that you look
at it, the statistics, we are doing really well and

(02:55):
actually even an international visitors. But Autuda is outpacing the
rest of the country. These debts, these are actually you
can find them online very easily and over the last
two months. We're actually up fifteen percent a year on
are compared to six percent across New Zealand. So you know,
I'm not just out here promoting my destination because I'm

(03:15):
the mayor. I'm actually sticking up for what's correct, what's accurate,
and actually, like I said, we're smashing it and we
will continue to do so.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Tanya, thanks very much. I appreciate your time. Mate. It's
Tanya taps On, the Mayor of Rotru.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news talks.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio