Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park is pretty fully booked over the New Year period. Photo / NZME
''Tauranga is absolutely open for business.''
That's the catch cry from a business advocate as the city's accommodation providers roll out the red carpet for the Christmas holidays.
Ōhope accomodation was also booking out fast while leaders from Ōpōtiki and Whanganui were discouraging Aucklanders from visiting their districts.
According to Airbnb, Tauranga was the most searched destination by Kiwi guests this summer.
Mount Maunganui came in fourth on the same list.
Airbnb country manager for New Zealand and Australia Susan Wheeldon said Kiwis were displaying incredible enthusiasm for exploring their own backyard.
"We're particularly seeing interest surge in regional areas within driving distance of major cities, and that includes places in the Bay of Plenty region such as Tauranga."
Wheeldon said there's been an increase in popularity for listings that bring guests close to nature.
"Unique listings such as treehouses, cabins, miniature homes and farm stays are all highly sought after, as well as baches that are designed for relaxing and unwinding,
with everything from panoramic views to outdoor baths."
According to Airbnb data, searches by Kiwis for stays in New Zealand over summer more than doubled in the 24 hours following the Auckland border announcement on November 17.
Accommodation providers in Ōhope and Mount Maunganui were expecting to be kept busy over the summer season.
Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park receptionist Aaron Nikora said the park was busy and their on-site cabins and caravan parks were full.
"We're pretty fully booked for the new year's period as well."
"The majority of our bookings are holidaymakers from out of town, from Auckland and Hamilton who stay long periods."
Ocean Waves Motel manager Hardeep Kaur said after "a really bad year" she was looking forward to a busy summer despite receiving "many cancellations" over the motel's no vaccination, no stay policy.
"It was not good at all in terms of business. [Now] we are definitely busy over the Christmas and New Year period."
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley said most accommodation providers across the Western Bay were welcoming of the wave of domestic visitors who flock to the beach over summer.
"Tauranga is absolutely open for business."
Cowley said while some accommodation providers were having a quiet start to December, many had a good pipeline of bookings for the first half of next year, including more business bookings thanks to the removal of Auckland's border.
"Aucklanders have been locked up for over 100 days. Even though the Aucklanders have been able to click and collect and buy online, many have saved up money during lockdown to treat themselves to a great summer break.
"There are many venues and entertainment businesses across the Western Bay that want to give visitors a good time."
In the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Ōhope Top 10 Holiday Park owner Ian Smith said he and his staff were "flat out".
"Bookings are good. We're looking strong for this summer."
Smith said the business would implement a no vaccination, no stay policy starting next week.
The park had undergone a thorough health and safety audit to see how they could safely cater for their 3000-guest capacity and had decided the policy was the best way to operate.
"There are people who are happy and said it has put their minds at rest. For every cancellation we've got a new booking," Smith said.
"The positive reactions have outweighed any negativity."
Smith said he saw the vaccination pass as being like a needing a driver's licence or a passport for overseas travel.
Meanwhile, the Ōpōtiki District Council was backing calls from iwi leaders to try to block Aucklanders from travelling to the district.
A Whanganui iwi leader was also begging holidaymakers to reconsider plans to visit the region this summer to protect its communities from Covid.
Armed police stood guard as the patched members were led out in handcuffs.