Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon says Dunedin needs to do a better job of presenting a clear picture of what it can offer tourists.
He also said at the Trenz tourism conference in Rotorua yesterday while passenger numbers to and from the city were strengthening, his company was not considering a return to transtasman flights.
Mr Luxon said Dunedin was doing ''really good stuff'' as a community to build demand, and the relationship between Air New Zealand and Dunedin International Airport was good.
But the city needed more clarity in its message telling what it offered tourists.
On transtasman flights, Mr Luxon said they were ''really difficult'' for the airline.
Transtasman summer flights to Sydney and Melbourne run by Virgin, which had an alliance agreement with Air New Zealand, were dropped last year, leaving a Brisbane flight the only international direct flight left from Dunedin.
Mr Luxon said Air New Zealand was investing in connectivity with other New Zealand centres, rather than a return of Transtasman flights.
Responding to the suggestion Dunedin did not have clarity in its message, Enterprise Dunedin trade sales representative Gil Abercrombie said ''wildlife and heritage is our clear message''.
For the domestic market, Dunedin's tourism pitch was ''slightly more varied'', but it was important not to ''narrow the message'' too much.
''We try to be a little bit of everything.''
Ms Abercrombie said Enterprise Dunedin would like to be more active domestically, but that would cost money.
The city worked with regional partners to develop what was sold as the Southern Scenic Route through Otago and Southland.
Through an international marketing agreement, it worked with other provinces to sell the South overseas.
''There's a lot of under the radar stuff going on,'' she said.
