Opinion: Rotorua's hospitality something to improve on

A group of school children eager to say hello and have their picture taken at the National Centre for Traditional Arts.

I've just returned from a week in Taiwan and, among its stunning scenery and impressive architecture, something stood out to me.

The locals, despite my obvious language barriers, were the most hospitable people I have come across in my travels.

I think Rotorua could really learn something from the Taiwanese.

It wasn't just people paid to be friendly - hotel staff, waiters, shop owners - it was everyone I encountered, from the group of children on a school outing to the people I stopped so I could pat their gorgeous purebred pups.

One occasion that sticks in my mind was when I was in Hualien. Myself and two others found ourselves lost at midnight after having a couple of beers at a local bar.

Conceding that we didn't know where we were going, we went into the only open store - a scooter repair shop, and asked the man in there, who didn't speak a lick of English nor I Mandarin, if he could point us in the right direction.

After 10 minutes of trying but failing to communicate, he gestured for us to wait a moment and ran out back. Soon after he returned with a woman who could speak English and was able to call us a taxi.

Can you honestly say this would happen in Rotorua?

Maybe some of you would try to help a lost tourist who didn't understand the language of our country, but I'd wager most would be quick to say 'no I can't help you' and return to what they were doing.

Rotorua is already a well-established tourist destination that has so much to offer. But I've seen first-hand the way some locals treat our tourists, even if it's just disgruntled side glances, audible sighs when they are not fluent in English or blatantly ignoring someone in need.

Taiwan is still growing as a tourism hub, yet as a tourist, you are unlikely to experience this level of intolerance.

If we continue on this path, we will suffer the consequences, maybe not today, tomorrow or in a year's time, but eventually Rotorua will get a reputation as having unfriendly locals.

It's disappointing we are in this position, but it is not irreversible.

Smile at tourists, take their pictures, help them with directions - it may seem minor to you, but they will return home saying Rotorua is full of the loveliest people - isn't that worth it?