China

Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki Te Pūkenga has hosted a 12-strong teacher delegation from the architecture school of Huanggang Polytechnic College, Hubei, China.

The arrivals, spread over three months, will stay in Auckland, Queenstown, and also visit Rotorua and Aoraki Mount Cook.

The Chinese market is running at about 30% of pre-Covid, according to Stats NZ’s latest travel and migration numbers.

The valuable market gets a lift with direct flights from the mainland to the South Island to resume and a new tech partnership.

Tourism ministers from New Zealand and China have met this week to reaffirm their commitment to the industry and new opportunities.

Tourism is high on the agenda for Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ trade delegation to China next week.

Average daily rates across the country were up significantly in April compared to the same month in 2019, according to Horwath HTL.

Visitor numbers from China are expected to pick up over winter, with good growth to be seen by summer.

A panel of experts at Auckland Airport’s Tourism Forum outline how NZ can better serve Chinese visitors as they start to return.

Long-haul flights between Auckland and North America are set to exceed 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic, says Auckland Airport.

TNZ says the country is in a strong position as a destination of choice for Chinese travellers.

The return of Chinese tour groups is happening faster than some industry professionals expected with strong demand for New Zealand being seen by market specialists.

“It’s going to provide a late summer boost to the tourism sector,” says Auckland Airport’s Scott Tasker.

Tourism businesses will need to focus on changes in Chinese tourist thinking and priorities to serve the market as it returns to New Zealand.

Tour groups will soon start arriving in volume but is the country ready to welcome back one of its most important source markets?

The return of Chinese tourists and students will give New Zealand’s economy a welcome boost this year as domestic demand wanes, says Westpac.

Even if demand surged over 2023, it would take time for supply – in this case, airline capacity – to catch up, says the bank.

NZ’s reputation as an outdoor experiential destination could help drive Chinese visitation.

Air New Zealand is adding additional capacity to its Shanghai services to meet demand from China.

CTS’ Lisa Li says the first significant tranche of visitors will arrive for Easter but NZ must become more efficient at processing visas.

NZ is one of 20 countries selected as part of a pilot programme allowing travel agencies to restart outbound group travel.

Paris has been named the world’s most powerful city destination with a travel and tourism sector worth almost US$36.65bn in 2022 – but it may not hold that position for long.

CTS’ Lisa Li on how the Chinese visitor recovery could look for NZ tourism.

The pandemic has likely reshaped the Chinese visitor market and accelerated trends that were only just starting to appear before international travel largely came to a halt in 2020.

Tourism New Zealand and The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have updated the Code of Conduct for China Approved Destination Status for inbound tour operators and tour guides.

New Zealand has some advantages once the Chinese government allows its citizens to travel for leisure again.