Dog statues a fairy-tale success

POPULAR: The Hairy Maclary sculptures are a major attraction, says Tourism Bay of Plenty assistant marketing and communication manager Abby Hadfield, who describes them as a unique selling point for the city centre.PHOTO/ANDREW WARNER

The Hairy Maclary bronze sculptures on Tauranga's waterfront have created a "unique selling point for the city centre" and Tourism Bay of Plenty says they are a large part of its content strategy and marketing plan.

Assistant marketing and communications manager Abby Hadfield said the globally recognised fictional characters had appeal to domestic and international markets and fell perfectly into the family-friendly tourism category.

"We have already been talking about and promoting Hairy Maclary as part of our family tourism package."

The statues were already considered a major attraction that enticed visitors.

"On an international scale, cruise will help raise the profile of the statues and therefore the CBD, with more passengers travelling over the bridge to see the storybook scene first-hand."

Feedback from the tourism perspective had also been extremely positive.

"We host a number of media and trade partners here in the Bay to showcase what we have to offer. The Hairy Maclary statues are a fantastic talking point and always spark warm interest with our guests."

Creative Tauranga acting general manager Jennifer Pearson said the organisation was overwhelmed with positive feedback from the public about the sculptures.

"Every day they are crowded with people of all ages and cultures enjoying their opportunity to touch and feel some of their favourite characters. Locals are proud to have something unique to Tauranga to show off to family and friends."

Former Creative Tauranga chief executive Tracey Rudduck-Gudsell had many people approaching her personally with feedback and gratitude for driving the project to fruition.

"Creative Tauranga always believed they would be a major attraction for the city and are excited to see this being proven true."

It was working with Tourism Bay of Plenty, Downtown Tauranga and Tauranga City Council to promote the sculptures far and wide, she said.

Downtown Tauranga manager Sally Cooke said reaction from businesses to the statues had been fantastic and they had noticed an increase in foot traffic since their installation.

"They are a beautiful addition to the waterfront. The number of people you see, of all ages, visiting, admiring and enjoying them on a daily basis must surely be testament to that."

Tauranga City Council strategic planner Adele Hadfield said that in August four pedestrian counters noted a total of about 32,000 passes to the Hairy Maclary sculptures.

The statues were unveiled by Prime Minister John Key on July 30 and in the four days following the sculptures' installation, counters registered a total of 13,552 passes.

During its Long Term Plan process, the council allocated $8million for city centre and waterfront revitalisation to be spent in the first five years, she said.

"This includes creating quality public spaces and streets; and creating a waterfront that showcases our natural advantages."

Maintenance of the bronze sculptures and the green space around them were now part of the waterfront maintenance contract.