A strong year for the local tourism sector is reflected in the latest commercial accommodation statistics.

Dunedin's total guest nights are up around 10%.

That's significantly higher than the national trend, which is also favourable.

Dunedin's being visited by more New Zealanders, as well as more overseas tourists.

The commercial accommodation data doesn't include cruise ships, which are also bringing an increasing number of passengers to Dunedin.

It's welcome news for the city, and industry professionals are gearing up for a busy year of marketing, to capitalise on Dunedin's popularity.