Simon Bridges National MP simonbridges.co.nz

Every year tourists flock to Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty. We wave at them as they come and go on cruise ships, we share our Mauao walking tracks with them and we encourage them to enjoy our beaches and to visit our local attractions.

Tourism is a huge contributor to our local economy. In the year ending January 2017, tourists spent $807m in the Western Bay of Plenty, which is up nine per cent on the previous year. In January alone, tourists spent $232 million, an increase of five per cent on the previous January.

Domestic and international tourism creates immense value for working New Zealanders, with tourism employing more than 180,000 people in 2016.

Communities around New Zealand continue to benefit from increasing tourism and higher spending. This is great news for Tauranga and New Zealanders as a whole.

There is no denying the fact that Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty is a highly desirable place to visit. There are many attractions and activities to discover and enjoy here, but we are a way off from reaching our full potential.

There are many hard-working and dedicated people here in Tauranga committed to growing our tourism industry, but I believe we can do more.

I wholly encourage tourism ventures to take advantage of the Government's Tourism Growth Partnership fund. The fund invests $8 million annually in industry-led projects that lift innovation and create new opportunities in the tourism sector. Recently, it was announced two tourism ventures in neighbouring Rotorua and another two in Southland were the latest recipients of this fund. Three other Rotorua businesses have also benefited previously from this fund.

No Tauranga ventures have been recipients of this fund, but there are creative and innovative people in the Bay who can help push our tourism industry further. We need to take the right steps now to invest in and futureproof this vital industry.