Belief July's record tourism numbers is a reflection of an investment finally paying off.  

Stats NZ data shows 256-thousand-600 overseas tourists arrived during the month - overtaking pre-Covid numbers from July 2019 by 0.4 percent.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell told Andrew Dickens the effort from local council, regional tourism operators and the Government is finally bearing fruit. 

She says July is usually a quiet time, so the big win is the 70 percent jump in business events that keep Rotorua afloat.