New Zealanders typically spend $8 billion on overseas travel each year and Cooney said there was an opportunity to tap into this market as people would now have to holiday in New Zealand.
This was an opportunity, particularly for Whakatāne as 70 to 80 per cent of its tourism GDP was domestic.
There was also an opportunity to target Australians when the transtasman bubble became a reality. Cooney said it was important to stay optimistic in the face of uncertainty.
Tourism BOP head of marketing Kath Low said tourism marketing would be encouraging people to support local and remember New Zealand's beautiful places and spaces.
Low said they would be pitching the region to those living in the South Island, however, the marketing would also appeal to those in Wellington and Auckland.
She said brand awareness of Whakatāne and Tauranga was low compared with Rotorua, but together they made a compelling package and Tourism BOP was working with media to put together some compelling stories.
Air New Zealand would also be offering cheap airfares and possibly package deals with tourism companies.
Tourism's new aim will be to provide sustainable, unique attractions.
Low said an example of this was a tour through the Whirinaki Forest, where a tree was planted for every visitor.
Whakatane District Council tourism team member Nicola Burgess said although Whakatāne had a very successful Queen's Birthday weekend, the true force of the recession had yet to be seen.
She said a trend was emerging where people were travelling to reconnect with friends and family, and looking for nostalgia and the simpler things in life.
The council has created a winter campaign to support tourism business when usually it would wait for spring.
She said Whakatāne offered value with quality experiences, both free and paid.
The council is also looking at collaborating and expanding its discover our local campaign to a regional level.
