Tauranga and the Western Bay can expect a large number of visitors to the region next Waitangi Day for when the inaugural Tauranga Airshow is held.

The Classic Flyers NZ run show is scheduled for February six and seven, with the sixth a practice day for the full performance on the Sunday.
Classic Flyers chief executive Andrew Gormlie says he is planning for 25,000 plus people to attend the show abnd is hoping for between 5000 and 10,000 visitors from out of town. He says these numbers are realistic as during Waitangi weekend last year, with no advertising, a smaller show attracted 10,000 people.
Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Tim Burgess is also expecting a large number of visitors for it and thinks the tourism infrastructure will hold up.
'February is not as busy as January but Waitangi is always a busy weekend.”
He says there are about 6200 commercial beds available each night in the BOP area – Western Bay, Tauranga and Whakatane.
Tim says there is a chance the air show will bring the city to its capacity but this is a positive situation.
'What a good problem we have got if that's the case. We will have to see, but Te Matatini (2009 kapa haka festival) was a good test on the city and we managed that well.”
Tim says holding the air show is of great benefit to the Western Bay.
'It brings in a large number of visitors and it creates publicity showing a lot happening here.”