Opinion: Booming tourism good for us all

Busy tourism industry good for us all. PHOTO/FILE

There's nothing like Rotorua in the summer.

The combination of the No Vacancy signs out along Fenton St, the increased number of people in town and that vibe you get from people who are on holiday is hard to beat.

Rotorua's a tourist town and the influx in people is what drives the economy, putting extra cash in the economy.

Today's story about the booming tourism industry has to be seen as good news not just for those employed in our tourism sector, but the entire community.

Many of those in the industry have been investing in their businesses in preparation for the influx, so it's great to see it eventuating.

But it's not just about bringing money to town.

The increase in visitors, in my view, adds an extra sense of confidence - one that's picked up by locals.

While it may be tougher to find a car park in town, the roads may be more congested that normal and the queues at the supermarket checkouts might be a bit longer at peak times, the atmosphere of happy people more than makes up for it.

And while that influx was once reserved for the couple of weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year, it now extends well beyond that.

Swarms of people will converge on Rotorua in a couple of weeks when the Bayleys National Sevens hit town, which kicks off a raft of sporting events that will draw people to the city.

And this year has the added bonus of the Lions tour - smack in the middle of June to give us something to look forward to as winter looms.

You've gotta love living in a city like ours where there's so much going on.