Guest View: Seeing red over city's prospects

I RED, sorry, read the editorial in Tuesday evening's Advocate about "Paint It Red" and it's great to see the local newspaper giving it their support.
 Love or loathe rugby, this is a great opportunity to project Whangarei in a positive light, and to have some fun in doing so.
 To see the trophy on display here this week, and the many people who wore red, was an early indication of the enthusiasm that can be built on, without draining any resources.
So many avenues are available. We already have a big "Red Shed" and Whangarei retailers are promising they will dress their windows accordingly. Maybe we will see some special promotions too (price REDuctions?). Is it possible that some of our many REDstaurants will join in too? There are many events planned, and lots of information is available on the internet.
 It is a great opportunity for us all. If local people get behind "Paint It Red" and are seen by visitors to be positive and having fun, it will surely help to project a much more positive image of Whangarei, something which is vital if we are serious about promoting tourism in the area. Anything which lifts morale and creates energy and enthusiasm must surely be a worthwhile good news story.
Local initiatives such as "Love It Here" and "Vitalise Whangarei" have already demonstrated what can be achieved.
It has been said that the Rugby World Cup is not just about the tournament itself but the legacy it can create. It is not difficult to envisage an annual "Paint the Town Red" festival if this year's events are a success. Any festival does not need to centre on rugby, either. Other events could also be used, albeit that they do not have the global brand that is Rugby World Cup. Further north, we have seen the success of Kerikeri's half marathon, which now has a street party aligned with the run and attracts welcome business to the town.
Whangarei could easily do the same. Why not wear red for the forthcoming Carter's Whangarei Run/Walk festival and create a great red wave (on September 11)? We have car rallies as another example, such as July's International Rally of New Zealand .
Visitors drawn to Whangarei, from home and abroad, who experience great service and enjoy their time here will tell others about it and momentum will build. That has to be good news for the district. It might even help generate additional revenue needed to get us out of the red and into the black - the colour of the shirt that most hope will be the colour of the winning team come October 23.
Make "Paint It Red" a success. Go WhangaRED!
* Andy Mears runs a bed and breakfast and a transport service in Whangarei, and is a keen advocate for Whangarei Heads tourism.