Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust has partnered with Tasman Holiday Parks to breathe new life into a prime Rotorua inner-city holiday park, providing the full range of quality accommodation as both domestic and international manuhiri return to the city.
Tasman Holiday Parks has signed a lease for the site of the former Top 10 Holiday Park Rotorua located opposite Trade Central and just a five-minute walk from the CBD.
Tasman Holiday Parks will take control of the Pukeroa-owned site on May 1, with plans to reopen to visitors about mid-May.
Agreement of the lease comes in the midst of a post-COVID tourism resurgence in Rotorua, with the latest RotoruaNZ figures showing international visitor spend has increased 56 per cent from December 2019 to January 2023.
Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust deputy chairman David Tapsell says the Trust welcomes its relationship with Tasman Holiday Parks and looks forward to seeing the prime accommodation site reopened.
“With the welcomed return of our international manuhiri, as well as sustaining a steady level of domestic manuhiri, this partnership provides a much-needed boost in visitor accommodation.
“Tourism and manaakitanga are part of the fabric of Rotorua, and who we are as Ngāti Whakaue. The industry has faced significant challenges during COVID, but we have come out of it stronger, having rebuilt, reimagined and reinvigorated our offerings.
“We are committed to growing our tourism portfolio, as seen in our shared ownership of Te Puia NZMACI, and the luxury Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa for which online bookings opened last week, and the reopening of the holiday park.”
He says the Trust will continue to build upon its strong foundations, with exciting plans in the pipeline for the former QE site, and also Rainbow Springs, purchased by a collective of Ngāti Whakaue entities at the end of 2022.
Tasman Holiday Parks general manager David Aflallo says he is thrilled to have the opportunity to re-open the site, which will be called Tasman Holiday Park – Rotorua.
“This is a highly-regarded and well-known establishment, located right in the middle of Rotorua.
“Tasman operates 40 holiday parks in iconic locations across Aotearoa and Australia. As the Māori cultural centre of New Zealand and a key domestic and international destination, we have been keen to have a presence here.”
He says they look forward to making their own contribution to the local tourism sector and economy, and look forward to working with Rotorua tourism whānau and, most importantly, with the community, to reopen the site.
“We are working with the Pukeroa Oruawhata to ensure delivery on our tiaki promise – kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga. For us, it’s all about he Tangata, he Tangata, he Tangata.”
