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Taitokerau tourism interests are expecting a boost in traffic from Lonely Planet's decision to rank Northland among its top three destinations to visit in Asia Pacific in 2019.
The global travel authority ranked the Bay of Islands and Northland just behind Margaret River and southern Western Australia, and the southern Japanese island of Shikoku.
It praised Northland's "endless extraordinary surf beaches, myriad islands and forests of giant trees", and also observed the region was the cradle of the country's culture and history – both for the indigenous Māori people and for the European settlers who followed them.
Northland Inc acting chef executive Vaughan Cooper says the accolade shows how much tourism is growing in the region.
It comes on top of the completion of stage one of the Hihiaua Cultural Centre in Whangārei and the opening of the new Bay of Islands Airport terminal.
Lonely Planet also flagged the opening next year of the Māori Battalion museum at Waitangi, which it said would add extra gusto to the annual festivities at Waitangi on February 6.
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