Tourism

Tourism New Zealand will unveil its marketing plans for the next three years to a Dunedin audience today.

Dunedin is punching above its weight in attracting visitors, as shown in the latest accommodation occupancy statistics.

An update by the Tourism Industry Association on its national plan is being detailed at events in Dunedin and Queenstown next week.

Queenstown remains New Zealand's ''premier resort destination'' and is vital to continued visitor growth nationwide, Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler says.

A $158 million boost for tourism spending over the next four years will not directly benefit Destination Queenstown and other regional tourism organisations (RTOs) at the industry's grass roots.

A pledge by Prime Minister John Key yesterday to spend an additional $158 million over four years on tourism was welcomed by the country's national carrier, Air New Zealand.

A huge increase in international visitor arrivals to New Zealand from both the West and the East has seen the biggest February influx, with 281,233 arrivals resulting in 8.5% growth for the month.

Recent publicity has revealed that "Dunedin" done in weirdly shaped lettering reminiscent of the billboards for B-grade horror films is not, as most of us thought, graffiti that will eventually disappear, but is, in fact, an official project designed to "promote" the city.