Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick has presented a case for people to invest in Rotorua to an audience of more than 300 of the world's top spa and wellness industry operators, developers and investors.
Mrs Chadwick was addressing delegates last week at the prestigious Global Spa and Wellness Summit in Marrakech, Morocco, having been invited to be one of the forum's key speakers.
She has also taken part in panel discussions as part of the forum's business sessions.
Mrs Chadwick spoke about Rotorua's long history as a spa and hot springs destination and aspirations to recapture the title of the South Pacific's premier spa city.
She talked about Rotorua's hot springs heritage dating back to the earliest Maori residents and about the increasingly important role Maori are playing in the city's modern economy today.
Mrs Chadwick used her time on stage to promote investment opportunities in Rotorua as a world class health and wellness, spa and hot springs location.
She described the city as an established international visitor destination with a unique mix of history, culture, landscape and natural geothermal resource, unmatched anywhere in the world.
Earlier, Global Spa and Wellness Summit president, Susie Ellis of New York, said she had been taken by the Rotorua story and the city's vision.