Otago Central Rail Trail users continue to rate their experience as a nine out of 10.
The latest survey of 662 trail users threw up ''few surprises and more positives than negatives'', trail trust chairwoman Kate Wilson, of Middlemarch, said yesterday.
It followed similar surveys in 2010-11 and 2008-09 and continued to emphasise the popularity of the trail, although it was important not to be complacent, she said.
Overall numbers using the trail were slightly down on the last survey but spending by trail users was up 5.5% .
''I'm not dissing the survey results but I don't think we can read too much into the slight decline in figures. The site [where it is measured] is the highest point of the trail, the cruelest of hills, and if people aren't doing the whole trail, this is the part they'll miss out,'' she said.
The trail ''season'' now extended from September to May, which was a major change from the December to April season favoured a few years ago.
''Trail operators - and I'm one myself - will say the numbers using the trail are pretty steady and are spread out now over a longer time. We're seeing more people cycling the trail in winter, for example, and they've loved the snow this year.''
Visitors rated their experience at nine out of 10, as they did in the two previous surveys, and package operators scored 9.5 out of 10 and ''fantastic reviews'' from the cyclists, she said.
International cyclists made up 39% of those on the trail compared with 22% in 2011 and 20% in 2008.
Australians overtook Europeans as the main international ''source'' of rail trailers. North Islanders made up almost two-thirds of the domestic users.
Those figures proved the worth of targeted marketing campaigns in Australia and the North Island by Tourism Central Otago, the tourism group's manager, Anne Pullar, said.
The most common trail users were people over 30 and most travelled from Clyde to Middlemarch.
As well as adding about $5.3 million to the Otago economy annually, the trail created full-time employment for about 102 people.
The survey was carried out near Wedderburn in spring, summer and autumn and the questions and analysis followed the 2011 and 2008 surveys as closely as possible.
Similar surveys are being carried out on the Roxburgh Gorge and Clutha Gold cycle trails and the results will be available early in October.
