KEY POINTS:
Just getting a visa to come to New Zealand can be a huge challenge for Chinese people.
Visitors must apply through Chinese travel agencies which are licensed under the Approved Destination Status.
There are seven of these agencies in Shanghai and a further six in Beijing.
Some are Government-owned while others are owned by independent companies like the US Nasdaq-listed firm Ctrip.com.
Ctrip product manager George Qiao says applicants to his company must show they have at least 10,000 rmb ($2450) in their bank accounts before they are even considered.
Other companies request the money is given over to them as a bond. The cost of the trip is then additional to this.
They must also get a letter from a person not travelling to New Zealand to guarantee they will come back and a letter from their employer saying they approve of the travel and will keep their job open while they are away.
"If we are not sure whether a traveller is trustworthy they will turn them away," Qiao says of his firm's visa department.
The time it takes to process the visa is also a challenge. Qiao says it can take up to a month in some cases.
"We have been hoping they will make it easier."
New Zealand has recently introduced a five-day service but some say delays have continued because Chinese Government officials have been tied up dealing with the after- effects of the Sichuan earthquake.
Tourism New Zealand says its figures show 85 per cent of visas are processed within 10 days.
Unlike their Western counterparts, Chinese travellers tend not to book very far in advance - around six weeks to two months ahead on average.
It's also a huge challenge for them to get time off work.
The standard in China is five days' paid holiday a year. In New Zealand it is four weeks.
The peak travel time for Chinese visitors is between October and February.
