Otago is one of only two regions where international student numbers dropped last year and it is down to a lack of action in previous years, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says.
Mr Joyce yesterday hailed the latest International Education Snapshot which showed international student numbers nationwide had grown by 12% in the January to August period last year, compared with the corresponding period in 2013.
But while most of the country was benefiting from the solid growth, Otago, where numbers were down 3%, was one of only two regions, the other being the West Coast, where international numbers dropped.
Mr Joyce put this down to Dunedin institutions, including the University of Otago, being slow to realise the importance of boosting international student numbers.
However, about halfway through last year the university, Otago Polytechnic and other institutions ''united'' behind a strategy to increase numbers.
This was a pleasing development and given the numbers only included up to August it would be ''a bit tough'' to make any judgement on its success.
''What we should be looking to see now is growth in the final third of last year, but also particularly this year.''
Other areas - including Southland, which had 20% growth in international numbers in the period - were doing well in part because they began putting in the effort earlier.
That there was growth elsewhere showed there was an opportunity in Otago.
''It's often been talked about in the past that it's difficult to attract students to New Zealand. Well, actually, the rest of the country is doing it.''
The latest figures come as the city works on a plan to double the value international education brings to the city's economy to $330 million per year by 2023.
Export education co-ordinator Sarah Gauthier, who has been tasked by the Dunedin City Council to help make that happen, remains positive despite the drop.
''Overall, Otago's regional international education value is stable at $165 million - it's not shrinking and we do have a strong strategy to enable and effect growth.''
It was still early days for the city's ''project export education uplift'' and redirecting resources to focus on growing markets - such as South America - took time.
Increases elsewhere were also positive for the city.
Many of these students would go on to further study, including into Dunedin's highly ranked tertiary institutions.
