Queen St cafe to lure World Cup fans to Rotorua

Rotorua has scored a marketing coup for the Rugby World Cup and beyond, creating a little piece of Rotorua smack bang in the middle of the action in Auckland.
Destination Rotorua Tourism Marketing has secured a cafe at the 1 Queen St building - between Britomart transport hub and The Cloud at "Party Central" for the World Cup celebrations and through the summer.
Destination Rotorua Tourism Marketing general manager Don Gunn said the potential exposure Rotorua would gain through the venture was immeasurable.
An estimated 25,000-plus people pass the cafe on an ordinary working day and numbers will be much higher during the World Cup.
"To have a high-profile presence in such a visible location during both the Rugby World Cup and on into the summer season involves a substantial commitment from Destination Rotorua Tourism Marketing, Mr Gunn said.
"But it offers a phenomenal opportunity to gain exposure to audiences we would otherwise have limited resources to target directly."
He hopes it will attract the attention of rugby fans and the thousands of international journalists who will be in Auckland and around the country during the tournament.
The No 1 Queen St cafe on QEII Square will become a "mini-Rotorua" just a stone's throw from the cruise ship berths on the Auckland waterfront and directly opposite the Auckland Ferry Terminal.
"To be able to capture and sign up cruise ship passengers before they even sail to the Bay of Plenty is also a huge opportunity we intend to gain maximum leverage from."
As well as offering space for activities and themed displays, the cafe at 1 Queen St will host a Rotorua i-Site with booking facilities and a range of activities and promotional events.
Local operators can use the venue to showcase what the city has to offer visitors.
A presence in Auckland also fits well with the Rotorua Tourism Committee's decision to specifically target the domestic tourism market in Auckland.
Committee chairman Tony Marks said the venture was an illustration of what could be achieved with regional tourism organisations and operators working together. "The No 1 Queen St project is a golden opportunity for Destination Rotorua Tourism Marketing and Rotorua's tourism industry to work in tandem, to show New Zealand and the world exactly what an amazing destination Rotorua is," Mr Marks said.
Advertising on digital screen on buses travelling between the airport and central Auckland is also part of the deal.
Rotorua District Council reported in its latest World Cup newsletter that the city had a two-page spread in the official event travel guide, which would be distributed to all information centres, key airports and venues.