Mayor Stuart Crosby will take a 14-person mayoral delegation to Asia next month as part of Tauranga's sister cities agreements.
The 12-day trip in early April will include Yantai in China and Hitachi in Japan and a visit to South Korea to discuss a potential connection with Ansan city. The Ansan mayor requested the meeting during his trip to Tauranga last year.
Along with the Mayor, the delegation would be made up of councillor Matt Cowley, representatives from Export NZ, economic development group Priority One, Education Tauranga, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, University of Waikato, Tourism Bay of Plenty, Port of Tauranga and local businesses.
Ratepayers would pay almost $14,000 for flights, visas and accommodation during stopovers for Mr Crosby and a council staff member organising the trip but each of the other delegates, including Mr Cowley, would pay their own way. The cost of accommodation, meals and internal transport would be covered by the host cities.
Tauranga City Council communications manager Frank Begley said the value of the trip could be gauged by the number of high-profile business leaders who were prepared to invest their own money in it.