About 35 local operators and community leaders attended a Tourism Central Otago operator workshop in Cromwell on Wednesday.
Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (TECNZ) chief executive Judy Chen delivered a presentation to local operators about business strategies and areas the region could focus on.
Presentations were also made by Tourism Central Otago staff members.
Ms Chen was part of panel discussions alongside representatives from Conventions & Incentives New Zealand (Cinz), Auckland Airport and Lake Wanaka Tourism.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, Ms Chen said a focus on product development and offering a point of difference should be considerations for businesses in Central Otago.
"In order to get people to come over and to appreciate what the region has to offer, there needs to be something a bit different from around the corner."
The lack of commercial accommodation in Central Otago was also restricting growth, said Ms Chen.
She said the biggest focus moving forward would need to be collaboration and buy-in from residents.
"Tourism Central Otago can't do it alone. They need the support of the council, the community and other associations, whether it be a cycle trail focus or a wine focus.
"It is a teamwork approach as opposed to looking at things in isolation."
A Tourism Advisory Board meeting followed the workshop.
Board chairwoman and Cinz chief executive Sue Sullivan said raising the region's profile was "clearly the biggest challenge".
"Those high-value international tourists will come when they are made aware."
Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Conservation Minister Eugene Sage released a New Zealand Tourism Strategy report last month, focusing on "maximising the benefits of tourism growth, while managing and mitigating the risks".
The pressure on Queenstown's infrastructure had recently culminated in overwhelming local support for a visitor levy in the district.
Ms Chen said it was important to learn from the challenges Queenstown faced.
"Considering their challenges around infrastructure, planning and funding, it's a case of ensuring the region never gets to that stage."
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment estimates that, to the year ended February 2019, domestic and international visitor spending in Central Otago totalled $207million.
