The government of New Zealand estimates that China will overtake Australia as the largest source of visitors to the country by 2020.
Chinese visitors’spending will also increase from Z$1.28 billion this year to NZ$2.32 billion in 2020, while Australian visitors’ spending would go up from NZ$2.18 billion this year to NZ$2.27 billion in 2020, according to New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The New Zealand government also predicts that the number of Chinese visitors will increase 12% between 2015 to 2021, spurred by the increase in air services to New Zealand, tourism promotion and the growing wealth of the Chinese people.
Tourism is the second largest source of income, after dairy, for the New Zealand government, contributing more than 7% to its GDP last year.
Boat tour company Ngai Tahu, which offers jetfoil tours on the Shotover River near Queenstown in New Zealand’s South Island, has recently started winter hiking tours to attract Chinese visitors. Its president Mr. Hall said: “We think there is a lot of potential, especially in the Chinese market. The Chinese visitor market is showing a strong growth for New Zealand and it delivered the highest growth for us in the last season.”(Translation by David)
