Overseas tourists comprise nearly 90% of participants in the daily Walk Dunedin tours, and they turned up in record numbers during November.
That month, 301 people took part in the guided walks, which are organised by the Otago Settlers Museum.
This was by far the highest monthly attendance since the guided tours began - the previous high being 209 walkers in February.
Things have certainly come a long way since the first Walk Dunedin tours began in June 2005.
There were only 14 walkers in that first month.
And in those days there was only one volunteer guide and the two-hour stroll, starting at 11am, was offered only five days a week.
But by the end of the first financial year, in June 30, 2006, a total of 526 people had taken the tour, 89% of them overseas tourists.
By June, those annual numbers had risen to 1155, with participation continuing to rise.
Walk organisers said 86% of those walkers were from abroad - from Australia (28%), the United Kingdom (26%), the United States (11%) and other countries (21%).
The rest were from elsewhere in New Zealand (12%), with a tiny 2% from Dunedin.
These days the Walk Dunedin programme has been significantly expanded, with seven more volunteer guides recently trained and three daily walks offered in the central city - instead of the previous one.
Since October, an hour-long walk starting at 9.30am and another two-hour walk at 2pm have also been in operation.
And these days the walks are offered seven days a week.
"The tours have been one of the big successes of the settlers museum in recent years," Grant McDonald, the museum's acting director, says.
Mr McDonald also praised John Ingram, the museum visitor programmes co-ordinator, and Val-mai Shaw, the Walk Dunedin volunteer co-ordinator, for their role in developing and operating the tours.
The walks focus on the city's Scottish heritage and include a visit to the settlers museum.
Mr Ingram emphasises that the tours are also intended for Dunedin people.
"Dunedin people will be absolutely amazed how little they actually know about their own city," he says.
He recalls that Walk Dunedin originated in 2004, when he was job-sharing the visitor co-ordinator position with Ms Shaw.
She had been on holiday in the United Kingdom and , while in Exeter, had gone on a walking tour of the city with a guide dressed in full Red Coat regalia.
The two museum staff members worked on the idea together before starting the Dunedin walks.
Susan Hutt, one of the more recently trained volunteer guides, said the guided walks were adding further value to city tourism, including encouraging visitors to stay longer in the city.
Mr Ingram remained optimistic increased domestic tourism and more involvement by Dunedin residents would offset any reduction in walks by overseas visitors.
"We might plateau, but I don't think we'll slump."
He was encouraged by the "excellent" calibre of the volunteer guides.
"I think their enthusiasm will carry us through."
