New Zealand is getting ready to roll out the red carpet for increased numbers of Chinese visitors as the two countries finalize arrangements for the 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism.
China is currently New Zealand's second largest source of tourists, but it is expected to overtake Australia by 2024 when the number of Chinese holidaymakers is expected to increase to 800,000 per year.
New Zealand Tourism Minister, Kelvin Davis, says the government is using the Year of Tourism as a platform to raise the quality of the service offered to Chinese visitors. He says that customs, immigration and police officers are planning to sharpen their cultural capabilities "to ensure that Chinese visitors receive world class service at every stage of their journey."
China's Consul General in Auckland, Xu Erwen, says that tourism is an important bridge for enhancing mutual exchange and friendship among people. Over the next five years, outbound trips from China are forecast to increase from 130 million to 700 million and she says there is "an incredible amount of potential for Chinese tourists to deliver even more benefits to the New Zealand economy."
"Our companies have got to take up this opportunity and demonstrate the way they can to meet consumers' needs in China," said Stephen Jacobi, New Zealand China Council Executive Director. /CGTN Photo
As New Zealand's biggest export earner, tourism is worth 34 billion NZ dollars and employs 15 percent of the population. Rising demand for accommodation and related facilities in tourist hot spots provides enormous investment opportunities, according to Xu.
"It is my sincere hope that both sides will grasp the good opportunities of the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism to achieve win-win results and build stronger partnerships and a brighter future for our two countries and two peoples," she says.
In addition to being the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism, 2019 also marks the twentieth anniversary since New Zealand welcomed its first Chinese visitors and Davis says that the tourism relationship is a special and enduring one. "Our shared Year of Tourism seems a fitting way to celebrate the strength of this relationship."
Two-way tourism between the two countries amounts to 580,000 people, and in September 2019, 1,000 New Zealanders are being invited to the home of the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an where they will experience a special once-in-a-lifetime performance usually reserved for distinguished visitors to the city.
One of the first events to celebrate the Year of Tourism will take place this month when the China Tourism Exchange hosts a delegation of tourism businesses and officials from the South Island resort town of Queenstown so that they can strengthen relationships with key travel trade partners and gain valuable market intelligence about Chinese travel habits.