page_title: Hastings, New Zealand
section_title: Tourism
hierarchical_section_title: Hastings, New Zealand / Economy / Tourism
caption_attribution_description: Sky Castle, Splash Planet, Hastings
context_page_description: Hastings is a New Zealand city and is one of the two major urban areas in Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of the North Island. The population of Hastings is 45,000, with a further 13,950 people in Havelock North and 2,210 in Clive. Hastings is about 18 kilometres inland of the coastal city of Napier. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities".
  The city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District. Hastings District covers an area of 5,229 square kilometres and has 85,000 people, which is 1.7% of the population of New Zealand, ranking it fourteenth in size out of the seventy-four territorial authorities. Since the merger of the surrounding and satellite settlements, Hastings has grown to become one of the largest urban areas in Hawke's Bay.
  Hastings District is a food production region. The fertile Heretaunga Plains surrounding the city produce stone fruits, pome fruit, kiwifruit and vegetables, and the area is one of New Zealand's major red wine producers. Associated business include food processing, agricultural services, rural finance and freight.
context_section_description: Hastings District is historic and welcoming of tourists, although inbound tourism is typically focused on Napier. Hastings features a tourism industry based on 'lifestyle' activities rather than attractions. The majority of tourists are domestic, usually from other regions within New Zealand. Scheduled airline services to Hawke's Bay operate through Hawke's Bay Airport, and the nearby Hastings Aerodrome is available for private planes. Tourism in Hawke's Bay is growing at an extremely rapid rate. In the recent decade, Hawke's Bay Airport's annual passenger numbers have grown from a 2005 count of 297,000 to a count of 476,000 in the year ending 30 June 2015. In the next five years passenger numbers are expected to exceed 550,000, bringing many new people into Hawke's Bay, with Hastings benefiting from the greater tourism.
  Hastings' largest draw card is the wine and food trail established around the productive hinterland. There are over 75 wineries in the surrounding area, including New Zealand's oldest winery restaurant (Vidal Estate). Boutique food industries are becoming popular with cheese, fine meats, and locally produced delicacies seen on display at the Hawkes Bay Farmer's Market (New Zealand's oldest and largest weekly farmer's market). Outdoor leisure activities dominate, with beaches, river, mountain biking, tramping, and golf, being popular. In summer, many large-scale events attract domestic tourists including the Spring Racing Carnival, The Blossom Parade, Harvest Hawkes Bay Weekend, and various concerts and events. The Blossom Festival was once a large national event in the mid-20th century, with charter trains from Wellington and Auckland coming for the event. This however has slowly declined in popularity.
  Hastings' specialist attractions include: New Zealand's largest water park, called 'Splash Planet', which replaced 'Fantasyland' near the turn of the millennium, Cape Kidnappers (the world's largest mainland gannet colony), Te Mata Peak, and access to an abundance of nature reserves and mountain treks. Architecturally speaking, Hastings suffered similar to Napier in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. However, because of the lesser damage by fire, Hastings maintained more pre earthquake buildings. Both towns gained a legacy from the disaster by rebuilding in the then-fashionable and highly distinctive Art Deco style, similar to that of Miami, Florida, USA. Hastings also possesses a large amount of Spanish Mission architecture (popular as with Art Deco in the early 1930s). However, Hastings succumbed to rapid redevelopment in the 1960s and 70s, which saw many 1930s buildings replaced.
caption: Sky Castle, Splash Planet, Hastings
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