Rotorua is associated with geothermal landscapes, but Te Arawa people and contemporary Māori life must remain at the centre of the story. Tourism is strongest when it follows local leadership.
Rotorua Lakes Council recognises Ngāti Whakaue, an iwi of Te Arawa, for gifting the land on which much of Rotorua city is built. The Council records this relationship through the Fenton Agreement of 1880.