Visitors spending more in Central Hawke's Bay
Central Hawke’s Bay is experiencing significant tourism growth with recent visitor data showing a 15% increase in visitor spend in the region over the last twelve months.
Visitor spend for the last twelve months to January was $36.8million.
The growth is a combination of revenue generated from visitors staying in Central Hawke’s Bay accommodation as well as those stopping for petrol, lunch or to shop locally.
Central Hawke’s Bay Tourism Co-ordinator Anna Baldwin says the impressive growth is a strong endorsement that the partnership between Hawke’s Bay Tourism and Central Hawke’s Bay District Council is working well.
The two organisations have worked in partnership since 2014. Through that relationship, a dedicated CHB Tourism Co-ordinator role was created to promote Central Hawke’s Bay and support local accommodation providers, tourism operators, venues and retailers.
The effectiveness of the partnership demonstrated by the increase visitor spend from $26.2m to $36.8m over the last five years, Anna says.
“It’s a fantastic result. We have a lot to be proud of here in Central Hawke’s Bay, people are really taking notice of that and wanting to come and experience Central Hawke’s Bay for themselves,” she says.
Local tourism operators, cafes and venues have been reaping the rewards of a busy summer season over the past few months, with many noting January exceeded expectations.
“It’s all up from here too,” says Anna.
“The next twelve months are looking great – we’re working on some exciting projects, the recent 60 Days of Summer Facebook campaign was really popular, and we have the Little Easy CHB cycle event coming up on Good Friday and a refresh of the Spring Fling festival so it’s a really exciting time for Central Hawke’s Bay!”
