Two of Rotorua's oldest and most popular tourist attractions and a new kid on the block have made the finals of the 2008 New Zealand Tourism Industry Awards.
The Agrodome has made the finals in the Visitor Attraction category while Rainbow Springs Nature Park and Kiwi Encounter is
a finalist in the Visitor Attraction category and the Conservation in Action award.
Newcomer to Rotorua, New Zealand Riverjet, made the finals in the Small Tourism Operator category.
Based on the corner of Tutukau Rd and State Highway 5, on the way to Taupo, New Zealand Riverjet has been in operation since December 2006 and its thermal safari package is marketed as a one-of-a-kind experience.
Tourists get the opportunity to jet boat on the Waikato River before being taken into the geothermal area of Orakei Korako.
Finalists for all categories in the New Zealand Tourism Awards were announced at the opening of the TRENZ (Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand) trade show in Rotorua.
The winners will be announced at the Tourism Industry Awards celebration dinner in Christchurch in August.
Agrodome sales and marketing spokeswoman Denise Siviter said the attraction had done a lot of work recently and making the finals was a boost for all involved.
"We are very excited and hopefully everything will go well for us.
"The products we offer have been developed from a sheep farming-based show to having Agroventures on site and we are now developing a conference and incentives package. "Everything is looking good for the future," she said.
Rotorua is not the only city in the region to be represented among the finalists.
For the second year running Whakatane's White Island Tours is a finalist in the Leisure Activity category and Taupo operation Hukafalls Jet is in the finals for the Adventure category.
Rotorua attraction Hells Gate and Wai Ora Spa did the double at the 2007 awards, picking up top prize in both the Visitor Attraction and the Tourism Innovation categories.
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