The planned detailed study stems from the ''Oamaru Visitor Attractions Vision'', a study by Select Contracts based in Whistler in Canada.
The study, completed in June, has been circulated among councillors and obtained by the Otago Daily Times .
An initial study, costing $15,000, was commissioned in November last year after Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher floated the idea of a zipline on social media.
He received a large amount of feedback, including contact information for the Canadian consultancy group. It was working on a $20 million mountain-bike park, due to open in Christchurch in December.
Mr Kircher said the study focused on how to make the most of what was already available, and a business case for an adventure park at the harbour would be used to attract the tourism investment dollars the report called for in many of its concepts.
''It's been an interesting result really. It wasn't what we thought we were going into,'' Mr Kircher said of the study yesterday. ''It became very obvious that you can't just look at one thing, excluding everything else, so, 'What are the possibilities?'.''
Local craft breweries, wineries and internationally known restaurants, Victorian Heritage and Steampunk attractions - and the natural world - were discussed in the 98-page report. Potential gaps in the market, including themed accommodation and marketing opportunities, were also discussed.
Council chief executive Michael Ross said the proposed $21,000 study the council would undertake would coincide with a proposed hotel study for the district.
The council already invested $500,000 a year in Tourism Waitaki, was assisting in the $660,000 redevelopment of the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony and gave ''extensive support both financial and with officer time'' to the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail.
''It is important to respond to the opportunities we have (in the tourism market) and it is vital for the whole district,'' he wrote in an email. ''Our growth in visitor numbers is growing rapidly and faster than our neighbours. So we have actually caught the wave - we just need to do more work to stay on it.''
Oamaru economic development group Venture Waitaki chairman Simon Berry said he was pleased the focus was on ticketed attractions in town - at present the primary ticketed attractions were the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony and Steampunk HQ. ''The more the merrier''.
''Is adventure tourism the right thing for us? I don't think it would hurt,'' he said.
While visitors to Oamaru remained likely only to stay one or two nights, more long-term stays were possible if visitors to Oamaru, like those to Queenstown, had a checklist of activities they wanted to do, ''as long as it's viable and sustainable''.
Otago Chamber of Commerce North Otago advisory board chairman Stephen Halliwell said he had been briefed on the report and was ''excited by any ideas that create new business opportunities''.
''For a few dollars of council's economic development spend we have got some ideas for innovative people with investment capital to have a crack,'' he said. ''In the context of the benefit that could flow back into the community; if it creates one job, it's going to pay its money back.''
