Photo: ODT filesOlveston Historic Home visitor numbers have plummeted since international borders closed, and other cultural sites are also feeling the pinch. By comparison, last year there were about 4000 visitors in January, 4500 in February, and 2500 in March. Toitu Otago Settlers Museum’s visitors were down 46%, the Dunedin Public Art Gallery down 31%, and the Dunedin Chinese Garden fell by 27%. The Chinese Gardens had a spike of visits in February, with 8000 visitors, compared with 3000 the previous year, as Chinese New Year celebrations proved to be a drawcard. Dunedin Public Libraries have bucked the trend, recording their best March visitor numbers for three years in 2021.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 13, 2021 16:30 UTC