Whenever I'm on holiday I'm always on the look out for things to do and places to check out and often find myself perusing the brochures in information centres.
We need to make sure cruise ship passengers, tourists and holidaymakers know just how much the Western Bay has to offer so they choose to stay in the area rather than heading off to Rotorua - and to ensure they want to come back again.
An information centre would certainly help with that.
It's an easy way to find out what tours, trips or activities are on offer, get hold of a map and find out about some of the area's hidden gems and popular local spots.
Tourism is one of our major industries so we need to be doing all we can to sell the region to those who come here.
Even better than a dedicated, easy to find information centre would be an iconic, architecturally designed one.
The concept presented to the council was just that, in my opinion. It embraced elements of Maori culture, made the best use of the view of Mauao and would, in itself, be something visitors and locals alike would stop to have a look at.
I'm firmly of the view a new information centre is needed and that we should spend the money making it something that will enhance the city and become something of an attraction in itself for many years to come.
Let's not sell ourselves short again in an attempt to save on costs.
