A regional visitor monitor report, which surveyed visitors to the city earlier this year, shows Dunedin is becoming increasingly popular as a destination.
"Dunedin is growing as a must-see destination and the results from this survey are particularly pleasing," Tourism Dunedin general manager (Australia) Hamish Saxton said. "Word of mouth about the city appears to be spreading."
Dunedin's architecture and heritage buildings and the albatross colony and other wildlife attractions were listed as some of the highlights of tourists' visits to the city. Other popular attractions include the Otago Museum, Larnach Castle, the Cadbury Factory tour, the botanic garden and the Taieri Gorge Railway.
While most people surveyed said there was nothing they did not enjoy during their visit, some commented on the weather.
"Poor weather was again the most frequently mentioned lowlight, in particular that it was cold, wet or windy," the Tourism Dunedin-commissioned report says.
Several respondents also mentioned the lack of parking available in the city, difficulty in navigating the one-way system, the distance from the airport and the amount of rubbish on the streets as low points of their visit.
Average expenditure per day was less in Dunedin than other areas surveyed and this was an area Tourism Dunedin would be examining, Mr Saxton said.
Tourism products buyers at the Tourism Dunedin stall at the Trenz 2008 tourism conference in Rotorua were increasingly aware of Dunedin as a destination, he said.
"Dunedin is viewed as a friendly, warm and welcoming destination, with a number of attractive products for tourists."
Increasing interest in Dunedin from Australia and China meant the city was well poised to expand its burgeoning tourism industry, he said.
