Destination Management Plan

The Rotorua Destination Management Plan was developed during 2021 in partnership with Te Arawa, Central Government, Rotorua Lakes Council, and members of our local tourism, hospitality and accommodation sectors. It sets out a strategic pathway for sustainable tourism development to ensure Rotorua is a thriving visitor destination for the benefit of the local community.

He painga mō te ao katoa 

For the betterment of all 

Vision

The vision - He paianga mō te ao katoa, for the betterment of all – was a special clause in the 1880 Rotorua Township Agreement that set aside thermal springs ‘he painga mō te ao katoa.’ The spirit of this statement is very relevant today to the Destination Management Plan, albeit with a wider scope. It has important historical and contemporary context and is consistent with the destination values identified through the engagement process. Together they highlight an overriding desire for visitation to result in an enhanced destination.

Values

Underpinning the vision are six destination values developed through a series of workshops with destination stakeholders and Te Arawa. They have guided the development of the strategy, and capture what is important about the destination, how the vision is to be achieved, and have given direction on the options and actions that needed to be considered as part of this plan. 

The opportunities or initiatives which align with these values will assist the destination in meeting and applying its vision. The six destination values, as illustrated in Figure 1, purposefully overlap and interrelate. For the values to be applied successfully, they need to be applied collectively and with a degree of balance, or tau utuutu. When applied collectively across all destination management activity, the values will ensure both community and visitor needs and aspirations are met concurrently, and growth is achieved for the region that is environmentally sustainable.

Actions

A discrete range of actions has been developed. These actions align with the destination vision, values and strategic directions and will help to leverage recent investment in infrastructure, including the forest and lakefront developments. Implementation of these actions over the next 10 years will result in sustainable growth and resilience for the Rotorua destination. 

These actions are classified into four general categories as follows: 

1. Implementation – actions to implement the plan to make sure that the actions are undertaken and reported against. 

2. Tier One – actions which are considered to be game changers for the destination, and will involve the private sector in place-making to leverage investment in physical infrastructure. 

3. Tier Two – projects that are focussed on investing in a positive future for the destination, adding significant value to the destination. 

4. Tier Three – enabling projects which provide a more resilient and effective foundation for the destination to grow in value.

If you would like to find out more please contact RotoruaNZ Destination & Marketing Team.

Destination Management Annual Report

We are proud to release the first Destination Management Annual Report outlining the progress that has been made toward achieving the strategic directions. We look forward to continuing this work into 2023 and beyond.