Todd McClay: Cup puts runs on the board for Rotorua

Rotorua MP Todd McLay

I am told there is a bit of space on the mantelpiece beside the Rugby World Cup trophy, which is good news because the ICC Cricket World Cup kicked off on Saturday in New Zealand.

We are jointly hosting the tournament with Australia - the first time New Zealand has hosted it in 23 years.

More than a million people are expected to attend 49 matches over 44 days between now and the end of March. The top 14 cricketing nations in the world will compete in 14 host cities across Australia and New Zealand.

I will be following the games taking place all over the country and will be one of the Government's ministerial hosts at the New Zealand v Afghanistan match at Napier's McLean Park on March 8. This is a programme where government engages with visiting officials and representatives from other nations to leverage New Zealand's investment in the World Cup tournament.

Tournament organisers have done a great job in keeping games affordable for Kiwis, with ticket prices starting at $5 for children and $20 for adults - and 300,000 tickets have already been sold to New Zealand games.

While Rotorua will not be hosting a game I would encourage anyone who is able to attend a match in a centre close by to do so - it will be a great atmosphere.

The tournament is not only great for cricket fans. It also provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase New Zealand to the world, with the global television audience expected to exceed one billion people.

Rotorua is just a short driving distance from host cites Auckland, Hamilton and Napier, and we can fully expect that Rotorua will be high on the list for visitors wanting a unique New Zealand experience while they are here.

The World Cup organisers are well aware that visitors will not only visit the regions that are hosting games and Rotorua's thermal and cultural attractions have already been extensively marketed in pre-World Cup publicity. Rotorua has some of the most incredible landscapes and attractions in New Zealand and we look forward to showing them off to Cricket World Cup visitors.

Tourism is our second biggest export earner and a major employer of New Zealanders. Tourism directly employs 4.7 per cent of the New Zealand workforce, and indirectly employs another 3.6 per cent. Around $8.3 billion was added to our GDP thanks to tourism in the past year. It is estimated more than $40 million will be spent by an anticipated 30,000 visitors to New Zealand over the next two months. With 97 per cent of international visitors recently reported as saying they would be very or quite likely to recommend New Zealand to others, plenty more are set to follow.

And let's not forget the trade opportunities. With such a big audience landing on our doorstep, it would be crazy not to take advantage of it.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise will actively organise events where New Zealand exporters can showcase their products and make business connections. The very best of New Zealand wine, food and know-how will be on display. We are a nation of entrepreneurs and our expertise is in high demand.

The Cricket World Cup is a chance to tell our stories, sell our wares, make some new friends and enjoy some world class quality sport.

Have a great time.

- Todd McClay is the National Party MP for Rotorua.