An event which transforms Tauranga into a mini-Olympics pumped more than $3 million into the local economy last year.
The AIMS Games generated $3.06m from 47,500 visitor nights and expanded the region's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $1.98 million.
The figures come from an evaluation of the sporting event's impact on tourism and GDP that was prepared for Tauranga City Council. It showed that the regional return on investment for the games was 537 per cent. The event injected $2.5 million into the region from visitor spending, and an additional $500,000 into the region's event economy.
Hospitality New Zealand regional manager for Waikato and Bay of Plenty Alan Sciascia said there were definite benefits from hosting the games, which attracted athletes, parents, supporters and coaches.