Kristin Dunne Tourism Bay of Plenty

It is no secret there is a perception that the Bay of Plenty is only a summer destination.

But during the cooler months, our region still has plenty to offer.

Think kayaking, scenic walks, craft breweries and local artisan cuisine - all of which have the raw potential to be harnessed and packaged for the nation and the world.

To spread this message, we have partnered with Air New Zealand and Christchurch International Airport to entice southerners to travel here from May to November.

We believe these winter months hold the key to realising our tourism potential as a year-round destination, and setting the record straight.

Many tourism operators currently operate only during the summer months, and cruise ships sail into our Port from October to May. Many people only associate tourism with these cruise passengers because of their visibility.

Off-peak figures for coastal Bay of Plenty visitor spend show a positive shift, with $91.1 million recorded in March 2018 – up 11.5 per cent from $81.7million in March 2017.

By sharing the Bay's unique year-round tourism appeal, we can help reduce the impacts of seasonality on our region to make the tourism industry more sustainable, so that local businesses can recruit more staff and retain them all year round due to more sustained patronage.

With ease of access, an abundance of unique and diverse attractions, and robust tourism-related infrastructure, we have all the makings of an even greater visitor experience.

This is just the beginning, and we hope you will help us in offering some winter love to our visitors.

For more information on the campaign visit: www.bayofplentynz.com/winawarmwelcome