Council supports continued promotion of the Coromandel as food tourism destination

Marketing and promotion of the Coromandel as a food tourism destination will continue to be supported by our Council and Destination Coromandel following the success of efforts to date.

This week our Council’s Economic Development Committee allocated $15,000 towards the hire and design of a stand, at the 2017-18 Auckland Food Show, along with a reprint of the Coromandel Food Trail Guide

It's the third time our Council will take a collective of niche, artisan food producers to the Food Show to showcase the wide variety of produce available on the Coromandel.

In August this year five artisan food businesses paid to sell their wares at the “Coromandel Bach" at the Food Show. They were Omahu Valley Citrus (jams, preserves and dressings), Wilderlands (honey, produce and preserves), Hot Water Beach Brewing Co., Castle Rock Café (jams, chutneys and juices), Coromandel Flavour (cookbook and food tourism product) and Blackbeard Smokehouse.

The stand was designed and dressed as a Coromandel Bach and each exhibitor had their own space to showcase their products with tastings and sales. More than 30,000 foodies flocked to the show this year. The Food Show usually attracts between 30,000 and 35,000 visitors.

“The feedback from our local businesses was that they saw a lot of benefits from being involved. They realised business opportunities and product sales and raised their business profile as well as the relationship/networking building that occurred,” says Laurna White, our Council’s Communications and Marketing Manager.

“The overall consensus continues to be that being at the Food Show raised the profile of the Coromandel "brand" as a whole, rather than focusing on individual businesses - which was of benefit to all,” says Mrs White. “There is significant interest from businesses wanting to be involved in the 2017/18 Food Show, including a major aquaculture business."

She says the stand was also a useful tool to promote the Coromandel as a visitor destination for events and accommodation.

TCDC staff and exhibitors actively promoted the Scallop Festival, Whitianga Waterways summer concert and Coromandel Town’s Illume and Seafood Festivals.

The flow-on effects from being involved at the Food Show and the Food Trail Guide includes:

• Media are looking at doing stories on the Coromandel Food Trail for their upcoming summer editions.

• The Coromandel Collective Food Trail Guide which was distributed at the Food Show has been extremely popular and is our second top download from our website.

• Both Bookabach and Bachcare supported the stand with product and are also promoting the Coromandel Food Trail Guide through all of their marketing channels.

• The Coromandel Food Collective Trail Guide is again being repurposed and some content will feature in TCDC's 2016-2017 Summertimes Magazine which will be sent to approximately 17,000 "absentee" ratepayers.

• The Coromandel Food Trail Guide is available at all our I-sites, information centres, Fullers/360 offices which are located at Auckland viaduct. Coromandel. Fly Stark and SunAir, which also has offices at Whitianga, Ardmore Airport, Great Barrier Island and Tauranga.

• Destination Coromandel has also included the Food Trail Guide content on its website, and 38 businesses from around the District have paid to be included in our Food Guide.

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