Tourism New Zealand research indicates the top two motivators for tourists coming to New Zealand are experiencing our beautiful landscapes/scenery at 50% and about 46% want to get in touch with nature.
Walking and hiking, National Parks and visiting a beach are the top three activities people from Australia, the UK/Germany and the United States are interested in. Another consistent and strong theme is experiencing Māori culture.
Domestic tourists are looking for spectacular natural landscapes, amazing beaches, a good mix of outdoor and adventure activities, iconic attractions and landmarks, good hiking/walking tracks and opportunities to see local wildlife.
Experiencing beautiful landscapes/scenery, getting in touch with nature, time out to relax and refresh, having fun and enjoying themselves, great food and wine/gin/beer trails and health and wellbeing are top motivators for our communities and visitors.
According to Dunedin’s residents, four out of six of Ōtepoti Dunedin "must-dos" for visitors relate to outdoor experiences and the environment: nature and beach experiences, wildlife experiences, scenic tours (harbour and land) and walking and hiking experiences. Rounding out the top six are heritage and food and drink experiences. A close seventh is arts and cultural experiences.
We should not be surprised then that satisfaction ratings for Dunedin attractions reflect this theme, with water tours, fishing, and diving at 90%, mountainbike trails receive 85%, bike hire 79%, beaches 77% and walking and tramping 76%. Other activities that rated well were art galleries, museums, significant buildings and landscapes, wildlife/animal encounters and gardens.
Lonely Planet’s top nine placing in the world for the Southern Lakes and Central Otago Region is consistent with both domestic and international findings around what tourists want to do with Lonely Planet saying: "In an area best known for its golf courses, winter sports and wineries, activities such as biking, hiking and exploring the outdoors are free and accessible to all."
Dunedin is the fortunate city when it comes to all the top attractions domestic and international visitors want to experience. The city sits at the end of a beautiful harbour alongside wonderful beaches and dramatic hills. We are literally 10 minutes away from our next outdoors experience.
All the international and domestic research suggests that should Dunedin link up with the Southern Lakes and the Central Otago Region we could join their ranks as a top nine Lonely Planet Destination — as a place that offers a lower carbon, sustainable, accessible, and affordable way for our own people and our visitors to engage with our incredible landscapes.
The Great Rides are attracting tens of thousands more people to the region to walk and bike as they are a low gradient and close to accommodation and food making them far more accessible. Over half the trail users are pedestrians.
The opportunity to tell our ancestors’ stories alongside walking/cycling trails is amazing — as many travel along the very routes they used to journey across the land. Walking and biking provide the opportunity for slow travel, taking time to stop and take in the landscape.
Across New Zealand regions are developing their walking and cycling trails. Any wonder then that over 40% of sector respondents to Dunedin’s destination plan wanted further investment in walking and cycling trails.
The Southern region has seven great rides, three on Dunedin’s doorstep. The evidence from both international and domestic visitors suggests that investment in a world class connected network of walking/cycling trails to enable people to access our outstanding harbour, inlets, beaches, rivers, hills, native bush and wildlife attractions will enhance Dunedin as a wonderful destination.
— Rachel Elder is a former Dunedin city councillor.
