A petition has been launched by Tauranga tourism watchdog Bob Smith to try to pressure the Bay's tourism agency to reopen the Mount Maunganui i-Site.
The closure of the i-Site five months ago by Tourism Bay of Plenty sparked angry reactions from some tourism operators and councillors who said it left New Zealand's top holiday destination without an i-Site branded visitor information centre.
The brochures service and tourism bookings were switched to the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park at the base of Mauao.
Mr Smith said the harm done by the closure of the i-Site was shocking. He obtained signatures from several "angry" cruise ship passengers who were mooching around outside the old i-Site in Salisbury Ave wondering why it was not open.
He said the new wharfside i-Port for disembarking cruise ship passengers was closed by midday and those who chose to stay around the Mount, and did not leave their ship until well after everyone else had left on buses, did not have handy access to information.