Central Otago District Council community development manager Paula Penno highlighted the result in a report to councillors.
The survey of 662 trail users followed similar surveys in 2008 and 2011.
It found that although overall numbers on the trail were slightly down, spending by trail users was up and the asset was estimated to contribute about $5.3 million annually to the Otago economy.
Thirty nine percent of the rail trailers were from overseas and 38% of those people were Australians. In the 2011 survey, most overseas rail trailers were from Europe.
Ms Penno said a question about the use of e bikes on the trail was included in the survey for the first time.
It was also the first time there had been a snowfall on one of the survey dates. Trail users had been excited about the snow, she said.
''It's not that nice really. It's alright on a postcard,'' Cr Stu Duncan said at the council meeting last week.
There seemed to be general satisfaction with the service rail trailers received.
Cr Clair Higginson said there were ''no grumbles'' about service, which was in contrast to the first survey.
Snow was seen as an asset, Cr Shirley Calvert said. But Cr Duncan said there was a good reason winter was less popular for rail trailers. Operators struggled with the high cost of heating accommodation and some places still had no water following hard frosts.
The hard work done by operators five years ago in marketing the trail was paying dividends now, he said.
