A promotion to get locals to visit Western Bay tourism attractions saw hundreds of people register but only half of those selected showed up to one of the free attractions on offer.
Tourism Bay of Plenty ran the promotion, which gave residents the chance to go into a draw tovisit leading tourist attractions free of charge.
Tourism Bay of Plenty's Kristin Dunne said of the 12 attractions, Dolphin Seafaris was the most popular, but only half of the people used their free tickets. "Next year we will build in more time so that if those allocated tickets do not ring and book their space, we can reallocate the ticket to someone else," Ms Dunne said.
The 1396 free passes, which had to be used on November 1 or November 2, were worth $45,000.
Ms Dunne said Tourism Bay of Plenty had predicted a 40 per fall-off rate. "So it will be interesting to see the percentage of drop-offs from other operators."
Ms Dunne said the Bay of Plenty was a popular domestic tourism destination and 75 per cent of those visitors came to stay with friends and relatives.
"We call this VFR, visiting friends and relatives. Our locals are, therefore, hugely important ambassadors for the Plenty there is to do in the Bay of Plenty. This campaign is about raising awareness for the attractions in the Bay of Plenty, paid and unpaid, and also give our locals the opportunity to experience the attractions, so they can recommend them to their friends and family when they come to stay over the summer."
Attractions which took part • Adventure Sail • Dolphin Seafaris • Fernland Spa • Hibiscus Surf School • Mataatua • Briars Horse Treks • Waimarino • Elms Mission House • Comvita • Kiwi 360 • Classic Flyers • Katikati Bird Gardens
