The concept involved establishing a main centre of tourism, such as Napier, and visitors travel out of and return to the central point each day. In contrast, Hawke's Bay Tourism promoted the region as a whole and is encouraging tourism operators to work closer together.
"That model is not going to work," Mr George said.
"Napier is the number one tourist destination in Hawke's Bay and that's where we should be starting. It's got what no one else has in New Zealand. Napier is an Island and was an Island before the 1931 earthquake. It has been settled with Edwardian style buildings and those facts together make it geographically unique.
"The second thing that makes it different is Marine Parade, the whole earthquake story and art deco architecture, the all-weather harbour.
"Hastings is not a tourist destination but it is a great agricultural centre and should be promoted as that. But ag centres aren't the same as tourist destinations."
Mr George is from Napier but had previously worked with Arizona Tourism in the US.
After returning to New Zealand, he completed a Masters Degree in Business Association where his research was on destination tourism.
He had studied overseas cases where regional tourism strategies were applied in big cities such as London, as well as in other cities in Ireland and France.
"In London they wanted to spread tourism around the region, to get people out of the main city and to the outer areas. But it didn't work and what happened was that traveller numbers dropped both inside and outside of the city.
"In Australia there was a move to promote the Hunter Valley as the Newcastle tourism region to get their visitor interest spread around but it also did not work.
"Why not? Because the real destination people wanted to see was the Hunter Valley, not the region. It's about destination tourism, which has been built up through demand over time."
Mr George said Napier had 60 per cent of regional commercial accommodation arrivals (excluding cruise ships) and that is where the focus should be when it came to tourism.
"Arrival numbers tell you where the demand is and where you should be promoting. Regional promotion didn't work in other areas because it's not what the consumer wants to buy, it's destinations. If you were given a free ticket to China, where would you go? You would name a place, not a region.
"The regional theme in tourism doesn't work and it should stop. Not only doesn't it work but it damages the brand, giving people something they don't want."
Members of the Napier Tourism Association were invited to appear in a photo for this story, but Mr George said members were worried about the business repercussions of "putting their heads up".
He rejected claims no one knew who the association was or what it stood for.
"We have presented our research to the Napier City Council, regional council, attended a Napier tourism forum which Hawke's Bay Tourism was also a part of. The idea that no one has heard of us is disingenuous."
Mr George provided the regional council with figures from the Department of Statistics Commercial Accommodation Monitor, calculated for the Ministry of Tourism, which showed a 70,000 decline in visitor arrivals in Napier for the past five years.
The association is using the figures to show the regional approach to tourism was not working. It's a stance rejected by Hawke's Bay Tourism and its general manager Annie Dundas.
Ms Dundas also presented figures to the regional council which showed improvement in the accommodation sector. She's been asked by the council to report back to it on May 8, explaining why the accommodation figures showed differing results.
Her report may include survey results which would provide "a far more accurate picture" of the make up of tourism business in the region, as well as the business the region receives, such as corporate and leisure.
"My report to council will paint a picture of the visitor economy of Hawke's Bay," Ms Dundas said.
Hawke's Bay Tourism also used figures from the Commercial Accommodation Monitor but in conjunction with the Private Household Monitor, Regional Tourism Indicators (spend data) and the Domestic Travel Survey.
The data would come from APR Consultants, Stats NZ and MED, The Domestic Travel Survey.
"New spend data is also available and this will be a much more relevant measure going forward because of the on-going inaccuracies of the commercial accommodation monitor."
Some properties did not report monthly, or reported inaccurate data which did not give a true indication of the accommodation sector.
Hawke's Bay Tourism reports quarterly to the regional council, which funded the organisation to the tune of $850,000 annually.
Ms Dundas said the hub and spoke tourism approach promoted by Napier Tourism was based around accommodation and transport hubs.
"And Napier does have that with the airport, the Napier Port there but people don't just travel to stay in a bed, they travel to a region to have an experience.
"Our approach is that we are Hawke's Bay Tourism, so we are representing the region, and promoting the experience Hawke's Bay can offer , not just Napier.
"It's about what's happening in the Hastings district, at Waikaremoana and in Central Hawke's Bay."
Ms Dundas said there is no doubt Napier was the major starting point for an accommodation base but visitors are looking for more choice now.
"I don't believe you can market Napier on its own and hope to sell the rest of the region."
Initial results from a survey by Hawke's Bay Tourism showed food and wine as well as Art Deco were among the top drawcards for people to visit the region.
"I know David won't agree with food and wine as the reason why people are coming here to stay. But you have to look at the fact that tourism has changed and here people are looking for accommodation now.
"There has been an enormous amount of accommodation outlets built outside of Napier in the past 15 years."
There were many other regions which also exploited the food and wine theme but Hawke's Bay's lifestyle and the introduction of the Hawke's Bay cycle and walking trails offered a point of difference.
"The cycle trails have unlocked all manner of Hawke's Bay. I would hate to think people are so myopic that they only want to promote Napier. If this (food and wine, cycle trails) encourages people to stay longer, why would you not want to promote it?"
Accommodation providers prepared to back Hawke's Bay Tourism's approach to promoting a regional programme included Napier man Evan Jennings who manages the Marineland Motel near Westshore and as worked as a motelier for 10 years. More recently he's become the secretary of the Napier Motel Association.
"I think it's important to note here that no one organisation or body is going to be able to provide a quick fix to the tourism decline facing many areas in New Zealand.
"The recession of 2007 changed the way the world did business resulting in all businesses having to review the way they do things. While statistics play a part in the analysis process, some of us have preferred not to get too hung up on the trend but rather work with the regional tourism operator (RTO) to improve our skills, knowledge and try new things with their input and with some success."
The Napier Motel Association voted to support Hawke's Bay Tourism as the regional tourism operator, a move it had "not regretted" when it was approved at its AGM last year.
Mr Jennings said accommodation operators in Napier were learning more about the benefits of working together and applauded some "think big" initiatives by the Napier City Council to attract more travellers.
He said the association believed Hawke's Bay Tourism served the region well given it worked on a budget half the size, but double the population, of its counterpart tourism operator in neighbouring Taupo.
Napier's Scenic Hotel Te Pania general manager Kerryann Gibbs contested the accommodation figures promoted by Napier Tourism.
Te Pania had recorded visitor growth, year on year, over the past three months of trading but agreed the economic climate had a marked effect on its business for the past 18 months.
"As one of 18 hotels nationwide, I have access to real data, across many towns, cities and provinces. I can assure you that all regions have been suffering, not just Hawke's Bay.
"I am concerned people believe the impact of the cruise business is in some way going to make up for the paradigm shift in the market. It isn't.
"People are changing their attitude towards group travel and are either not travelling or travelling as smaller groups or individuals."
Ms Gibbs said trade from conferences was showing a resurgence after being in decline in Hawke's Bay over the past two years.
"Positive attitudes attract visitors, and belief in your produce attracts visitors. Passion for your region attracts visitors."
The Crown Hotel, Ahuriri, reported it had traded through a good period from January 13 to March 13 this year which marked growth in its average daily rate (ADR) and occupancy rate.
The ADR is the average rental income per paid occupied room in a given time period and with the property's occupancy, are the foundations for the hotel's financial performance.
"These results are not seen through sitting back and hoping that people will walk through the door. We as a hotel work very hard and have a very structured, focused marketing plan with a budget that is paying off."
The hotel's advertising strategy includes promoting Hawke's Bay and not just the hotel.
"We communicate positively and support Hawke's Bay Tourism in their marketing strategies and promotions, including attending trade shows."
Ms Cole arrived in Hawke's Bay about three and a half years ago and noticed there was a "small minority" which focused on the negative aspects, asking what the RTO was "doing for our region and even our business".
"Time and time again they need to ask the question themselves: What am I doing for my business and also the region? It's all about working together better and supporting each other rather than working against each other."
Napier's Art Deco Hotel, Masonic, also reported good accommodation occupancy rates for the past four calendar months.
Director Neil Barber said he was skeptical of the accommodation survey figures used by Napier Tourism because there were many accommodation operators who flew "under the radar" and were not surveyed.
"But sadly I am not aware of any more accurate source of information. I wonder whether some operators are keeping abreast of the times and are actually delivering what customers want. Times are changing and so are customer expectations.
"Also, are local accommodation suppliers making themselves readily accessible to customers? The bulk of our bookings are online either from our own website or an array of online supplier channels."
Some examples included wotif.co.nz, booking.com and Expedia.
"How many local operators have invested in their own websites, online booking capability and channel management software?"
Mr Barber agreed that Hawke's Bay Tourism's job was to promote the whole of the region.
"Not sure who this lobby group Napier Tourism is but wonder whether their energies would be better directed at generating business for themselves?"
