"I think AIMS Games is an awesome event and an important flagship event that Tauranga must work hard to retain," Ms Weldon said.
An economic impact study found last year's tournament injected more than $3m into the Western Bay of Plenty and expanded the region's gross domestic product by $1.98 million.
Tournament director Vicki Semple said it was exciting the AIMS Games were less than a month away.
For the first time, 10 para-athletes will compete - five each in cross-country and swimming.
"We have seen significant growth in entries for nearly all our sporting codes, including 16 extra netball teams, already New Zealand's largest netball tournament at any level."
Ms Semple said 71 new schools registered to compete this year, which meant some teams were having to stay in Waihi Beach and Rotorua and travel to venues each day.
Ms Semple said all conceivable accommodation venues, which include motels, hotels, lodges, marae and private homes had been booked months in advance, and some schools were billeting athletes.
"One of the amazing things about the AIMS Games is that it brings the community closer together and everyone involved owns and supports the iconic event, she said.
The premier sporting event for 11, 12, and 13-year-olds is a strategic partnership between Sport Bay of Plenty, Tauranga City Council and four Bay of Plenty Intermediate Schools.
The 2017 Anchor AIMS Games
- A premier sporting event for 11 to 13-year-old athletes
- 10,139 athletes from 303 schools
- 21 sports, plus para-athletes and swimmers
- The Anchor AIMS Games is a strategic partnership between Sport Bay of Plenty, Tauranga City Council and four Bay of Plenty intermediate schools.
Vision impairment won't limit para-athlete
Mount Maunganui Intermediate student Joel Johnson Prescott is not letting his vision impairment limit his desire to win at a national level in his chosen sport.
The gutsy 12-year-old, who was born with achromatopsia, will next month take the start line in the 800m para-athletics cross country race at the AIMS Games .
Achromatopsia, also known as total colour blindness, means Joel only sees in black, white and grey and is highly sensitive to bright conditions.
People and objects more than 2m in front of him became quite blurred and disappeared on him, particularly in bright conditions, he said.
"Finding a specific letter box when I'm being driven around is also a problem because I can't read the number until I get up quite close," Joel said.
"I won't be able to drive a car when I turn 16 like other teenagers but I can do most things, sometimes with other people's assistance."
Joel said while some people freaked out when going rock climbing or abseiling, he was not one of them because he could not see the ground at all.
The plucky youngster said he was keen to give most things a go and focused on what he could do, including riding a bicycle, rather than what he could not do.
"I'm going to be starting ju-jitsu lessons shortly," he said.
Joel said when he learned para-athletic sports had been added to this year's AIMS Games, he jumped at the chance to be involved.
Joel said earlier this year he came 40th out of 150 boys at Mount Maunganui Intermediate's cross country event, running alongside a school mate.
Competing at the AIMS Games was "very exciting" he said.
"I definitely want to come first, and if I win that would be really great," he said.
