Fourteen million people are proving tourism is deep in the digital age.
Tourism New Zealand's website newzealand.com had 14 million visits in the 12 months to June 30, a 30% increase on the previous 12-month period, senior digital specialist Kimberly Jensen said.
She was in Dunedin this week for digital tourism sessions aimed at helping tour operators grow their online presence.
Miss Jensen, of Auckland, said digital development was at the forefront of Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) marketing, and the organisation's funding for it was increasing each year.
TNZ had its own website as well as pages on various social networking sites, mobile phone applications and content on other websites.
In response to the ''ridiculously large'' number of Chinese internet users, it was also developing a website for New Zealand tourism operators about better understanding the Chinese market, she said.
The largest single group of people visiting newzealand.com were Chinese (29%), followed by Americans and Australians.
Dunedin digital entrepreneur Derek Morrison, founder of Box of Light (formerly Dunedin Light), also spoke at the seminar about his own online success.
He developed the increasingly popular website and email service out of a passion for surfing, photography and Dunedin.
Following a stint in Sydney, he was surprised by the negativity about Dunedin despite its many positive attributes, and wanted to do something which showed people the best it had to offer.
''I wanted to change that perception.''
Mr Morrison launched Dunedin Light in September 2011 with a weekly email report containing photographs of Dunedin beaches and information about the surf.
Based on the Aquabumps website by Bondi surfer and photographer Eugene Tan, it grew quickly and expanded to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+.
It has continued to evolve, with content from throughout Otago being used to entice people to the region.
''I first wanted to put Dunedin back on the map so it's not missed off people's itineraries, and we know Queenstown has a really vibrant community of tourists, so we are trying to talk to them and engage them with Dunedin content.''
Mr Morrison encouraged Dunedin tourism professionals to keep up with changes in technology and be prepared to adapt as digital marketing evolved.
