Click photo to enlarge PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH

OPERATORS are happy with visitor numbers to Dunedin’s Chinese Garden, with about 75,000 people having been through the doors in its first nine months of operation.

The busiest month was January with 13,000 visitors, which included 4000 for Chinese New Year, Dunedin City Council community life general manager Graeme Hall said. .

‘‘It’s been great.’’

In the council’s annual plan the target attendance was set at 50,000, which was surpassed in January. About 11,000 season tickets had also been sold.

While visitor numbers had dropped from about 9500 a month in September and October to less than 6000 a month in February and March, Mr Hall was not concerned.

‘‘Our takings are well within budget,’’ he said.

As the garden had not yet been open a year, established tourist operators had been used to gauge how the tourist market was faring.

‘‘The recession has affected some tourist numbers. Therefore, we would say that February and March may have been impacted by that.’’

With the onset of autumn, Mr Hall expected numbers to be lower than in summer but was an ‘‘optimist’’.

The garden was continuing to grow and become ‘‘more and more established’’. While aspects of it were still being perfected, no new changes were expected