Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa officially opens following $52.21 million investment

June 15, 2023

Karen Sweaney

Following a $52.21 million investment from the New Zealand Government and five years of planning, geotechnical preparation, COVID challenges and building, Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa in Rotorua has officially opened.

As New Zealand’s only spa owned by mana whenua and offering services that incorporate the long standing and unique Ngāti Whakaue practices and culture into their environment and services, Wai-Ariki Hot Springs and Spa is a tourism offering of significant potential value for the region.

The new tourism attraction is expected to bring thousands more tourists to the region with Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan noting “this is one of the biggest developments in Rotorua in the last 20 years. It is the first major purpose-built spa and bathing facility since the original Rotorua bathhouse was built over 120 years ago.

“This is the latest example of how the Government has made investing in the regions a strategic priority.

“We have made deliberate, targeted investments to keep our economy going, particularly during the worst of COVID-19. Since 2017, we have seen local GDP increase in the Bay of Plenty grow by 43.6% and productivity rise 2.8% - despite the challenges of a closed border and the impact that had on tourism.

“This project was near the definition of ‘shovel-ready’ when the pandemic hit, with the staged process of the build meaning much of the preliminary planning work was already out of the way.

“Our funding hasn’t just supported the creation of new tourism infrastructure, it helped maintain and create jobs and support industries at a time when it was needed most.”

Peeni Henare said the tourism data released this week, which shows an estimated 220,000 international visitors will come to the region in 2023, Rotorua is well-placed to welcome international visitors back and tap into the trillion-dollar international ‘wellness tourism’ market.

Henare advised “wellness tourism is a high-value visitor category, with total visitor spend on health and wellbeing over $1.7 million just this past April. ‘Relaxation and wellbeing’ is on the top three reasons Kiwis travel to destinations outside of where they live.

“The mineral waters of our geothermally rich regions have long been a feature of New Zealand that our visitors love.

“A facility like this, combined with the manaakitanga provided by Ngāti Whakaue and the team onsite providing the services, is a tourism offering of significant potential value for the region.”

Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa will officially open its doors to guests on Friday, 16th June with Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa General Manager, Rania Sears stating that reaching the opening date milestone is an exciting development for everyone involved.

About the author

Karen Sweaney

Co-founder and Editor, Australasian Leisure Management

Artist, geoscientist and specialist writer on the leisure industry, Karen Sweaney is Editor and co-founder of Australasian Leisure Management.

Based in Sydney, Australia, her specific areas of interest include the arts, entertainment, the environment, fitness, tourism and wellness.

She has degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Sydney and Geological Oceanography from UNSW.

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