"The highlight, for me as the organiser, was to see everyone coming together and having a great time.
"Bay Salsa is becoming more popular locally, our goal was to get more locals to attend and we especially had more at the showcase."
Another highlight of the weekend for Saunders was the Hollywood-themed ball on Sunday night, which gave everyone a chance to "get their glitz and glam on".
Markets, salsa festival and fun waves make for "fantastic" Labour Weekend in the Bay. Photo / Andrew Warner
Re:Generate Fashion Market organiser Susi Lay said quite a lot of people were coming through the doors of the Mount Sports Centre, especially in the first hour after the market opened.
"It's brilliant. People were coming even though they could be at the beach," Lay said. "This is the second time we've done it in Tauranga."
Lay said shoppers came looking for vintage treasures or items to build more curated wardrobes.
"I'm so passionate about helping people to buy second-hand clothing," Lay said.
"I love being able to create a space where shoppers have a lot of choice, to turn an empty hall into a place where people are leaving with big bags full of bargains."
The market hosted 35 stallholders and Lay said she was already planning another one for March or April 2023.
Beachgrove Holiday Park staff member Anahera Van Duin said the holiday park had been fully booked for the last month.
"All the new seasonal workers have come back again. They just love the beach and going to the Mount and the hotpools.
"I think the ones who visit here are always at the beach, they go down for breakfast, lunch and dinner."
Tony Bullot, chairman of the Hospitality NZ accommodation sector Bay of Plenty and the owner of Tauranga's 850 Cameron Motel, said Tauranga was full over the weekend, which was "fantastic".
But, he said, it was hard to predict what the summer ahead would be like for accommodation providers.
Covid-19 had effectively flipped the industry on its head and now "there's no playbook" to help accommodation providers prepare.
"Over the past two-and-a-half-years accommodation providers have learned not to look more than a week ahead, because they can't. We just need to be ready for anything. Forecasting has become very difficult."
House of Surf co-owner Rowan Clifford. Photo / Andrew Warner
Business co-owner Rowan Clifford said Vegan Vibes Festival-goers attending a House of Surf group session were just some of the people at the beach on Sunday.
"Business was still ticking along for House of Surf at the beach. The waves were super fun."
Eastern Region Life Saving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell said while the beaches had been busy over the weekends the lifeguards were thankfully less so.
