More visitors are coming to Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty outside of the traditional tourist season.
Guest nights in the Bay of Plenty regional tourism organisation area, which includes Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty, were up 7.7 per cent this May on last year to 74,332, according to Statistics New Zealand.
Tourism Bay of Plenty assistant marketing and communications manager Abby Parkin said the increased visitations were really positive for the tourism economy.
The increase was reflected in recent spending figures released by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE). Annual spend to the year ended May 2016 was up 8.5 per cent on the previous year to $735.1 million, she said.
Ms Parkin said the Bay of Plenty was a seasonal destination, welcoming a huge number of visitors over the summer period.