Visitors to New Zealand's two biggest cities will be lured away to Waitaki under a new strategy due to be implemented by Tourism Waitaki.
Tourism Waitaki staff will visit various Auckland i-Site branches in September, to educate consultants on the Waitaki, and a similar exercise will also result in staff from Tourism Waitaki and the Oamaru i-Site training i-Site staff in Christchurch.
Tourism Waitaki general manager Hugh Packer said the strategy was a "no-brainer opportunity".
"This is a fantastic opportunity to get in front of those who have a huge influence on where these tourists intend to place most of their valuable holiday time.
"We educate the i-Site consultants on the Waitaki. Many will not know as much about what we have as they should, and with the A2O [Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail], this will be important over time.
"We update them on the touring route, attractions and places to stay, eat and enjoy, all looking to attract the visitor to stay longer."
Mr Packer said Auckland i-Sites met new arrivals to the country; many with decisions still to make on holiday plans.
Christchurch was "vitally important" as the gateway to the South Island, he said.
Due to funding restraints, the organisation had not attended the recent inbound tour operator conference on the West Coast, in favour of prioritising "key opportunities", he said.
Some opportunities had been dropped, but recent attendance at trade days in Auckland and Southland had proved "a huge success".
"We met with over 60 major inbound tour operators who were very enthusiastic about selling more tourists to our district.
"And ... the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail will bring domestic and international visitors we may well have never seen."
