“We are seeing that Chinese airlines have confidence in the travel market between NZ and China, bringing high-value Chinese visitors who see us as a highly attractive destination to visit.”
It is expected that Chinese travellers who have been sticking closer to home – with short-haul destinations favoured last year - are wanting to travel further in 2024.
The popular travel month of February for Chinese New Year saw 38,000 visitors from China, a 74 per cent recovery compared to the same month in 2019.
Stats NZ says it was the largest uptick in Chinese visitors to NZ since China removed its pandemic quarantine rules for arrivals in early 2023.
The upward momentum demonstrates NZ is still a highly attractive long-haul destination for those wanting the unique Kiwi experience, and the make-up of Chinese visitors continues towards a trend of independent travellers who will spend more time here and venture further afield than main centres.
Independent travellers from China made up 85 per cent of inbound visitors in the fourth quarter of last year (up from 71 per cent in 2019) while 15 per cent opted for group tours (compared to 29 per cent in 2019).
Independent travellers often travel more widely in this country, visit during off-peak times and spend more than those on group tours.
In April last year, inbound Chinese visitors coming for a holiday overtook those visiting friends and relatives for the first time and that continues to be the case, with holiday travellers making up 63 per cent in the last quarter, with 21 per cent visiting friends and relatives and 7 per cent coming for business.
Those coming here on holiday or on business usually spend more than those visiting friends and relatives.
Tasker said the new routes of Haikou from Hainan Airlines and Hangzhou from China Eastern Airlines provide even more ways for NZ Chinese to connect with friends and family.
“We have close to 300,000 Chinese living in NZ who want to visit family and the Chinese airlines flying into NZ have significant connecting hubs which travellers can use to reach North and Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom and Europe. That provides more competition and choice for travellers.”
The return of Sichuan Airlines from Chengdu also means visitors to China have a gateway to the province famous for one of the four great traditions of Chinese food, and an important location for the breeding and safe refuge of endangered giant pandas.
Tasker said this expansion of routes to NZ’s number one trading partner was also good news for export businesses, with direct air connections enabling high value products to be delivered into markets where they can attract the highest price.
“With the belly hold of passenger aircraft traditionally providing 80 per cent of Auckland Airport’s air freight capacity, over the next six months, we expect 12,000 tonnes of air freight capacity to be available for exporters to send high-value goods to discerning Chinese consumers,” he said.
Auckland-China flights at a glance:
- Air China to Beijing 4 x week (7 x week in July)
- Air NZ to Shanghai 7 x week
- China Eastern to Shanghai 7 x week & (new route) Hangzhou (via Sydney) 4 x week
- China Southern to Guangzhou 7 x week (14 x week in July)
- Hainan Airlines to (new route) Haikou 3 x week and Shenzhen 3 x week
- Sichuan Airlines to Chengdu 1 x week
Grant Bradley has been working at the Herald since 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.
