The man in charge of marketing Rotorua says "it's a surprise, but not a surprise" the city has landed in the top 10 list of trending destinations worldwide for 2024.
The list, which came from travel site Booking.com, included the likes of Argentina and Mexico and had to be in the top 1,000 most booked areas on the site between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023.
Rotorua NZ Brand Marketing Manager Haydn Marriner told AM host Melissa Chan-Green on Thursday's show that it was "a surprise because it's so hard to make the top 10, but it's not a surprise, because we've worked for this."
"We're the most awarded tourist destination in the country, even a couple of weeks ago our Polynesian Spa won three awards at the Luxury Spa awards."
But Marriner also said while it's great to get interest from abroad, Rotorua as a destination was nothing without the local support of New Zealanders.
"Even though we've got international recognition, we're primarily a domestic destination.
"60 percent of people who visit us are New Zealanders - you made us keep our standards high and during COVID, you kept us going," he said.
When asked what other cities in New Zealand could do to get on the list and stand out, Marriner offered this simple advice: "Back your personality, but be proud of who you are."
Watch the video above.
The full list of the top 10 global trending destinations from Booking.com (in no particular order):
- Beppu, Japan
- Vlorë, Albania
- Mérida, Mexico
- Portland, Oregon, United States
- Valkenburg, Netherlands
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Rotorua, New Zealand
- Chemnitz, Germany
- Panglao, Philippines
- Cairns, Australia
