Richard Roberts also said the process to put the draft destination plan together needed more work.
His comments followed those on Monday from education, literary and other organisations who felt they had been left out.
But Enterprise Dunedin director John Christie said a hearing on the issue yesterday was not the end of the process.
A Dunedin City Council hearings committee of Deputy Mayor Chris Staynes and Crs Christine Garey and Andrew Whiley heard submissions on the issue for a second and final day yesterday.
The plan outlines how the city will market and manage Dunedin as a destination, and how it will attract new visitors, students, migrants, workers and investors.
Mr Roberts said the process to develop the draft plan was ''less than robust''.
The airport attended just one workshop, but wanted to be a stakeholder and provide any information and support it could as ''a trusted partner''.
''We want to have a city with a shared vision stakeholders trust, believe they have been included in, and are accountable for.''
Mr Roberts said he had no disagreement with items in the draft plan, but there were questions to be answered that needed to be considered at length in workshops.
He did not believe the document could be called a draft plan when those questions were yet to be answered.
He said the destination plan sought to achieve collaboration and investment.
''I only invest in things I really believe in, and really trust, and I've been part of. I think that we need to include people from now until the end in order that they have no reason to throw stones.''
Asked by Cr Garey if he thought some people were excluded from the process, Mr Roberts said he tried not to assume anything.
But he said some had.
He asked Cr Garey if she thought the process was robust.
Cr Garey said it could have been improved, but the council was ''trying very hard''.
Mr Roberts said the document was ''crucial'' for the city. More workshops were needed before it was finished, and people needed to be brought together to develop what was needed, and given ownership of the document.
WellSouth Health Primary Network promotion co-ordinator Sophie Carty said her organisation wanted to be a stakeholder and community partner in the plan.
The plan needed to consider the health and wellbeing of residents. ''Having wellbeing is the reason you want to live somewhere,'' she said.
Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan told the committee his members had said there was ''a real need'' for an integrated cross-sector marketing plan.
Enterprise Dunedin director John Christie said after the hearing the issue of people feeling left out came down to an understanding of council processes.
''As I've been at pains to say, this isn't the end of the process; this is just another step in the process.''
There had been engagement with groups and organisations as the draft plan was developed. That engagement could have been more thorough and could have included more workshops, but there would be more discussion with stakeholders.
He hoped the document would be completed this year.
