by Li Huizi
WELLINGTON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Dong Bing flew to Auckland from Beijing on the first day of China's National Day holiday with her husband and 5-year-old son. The long-awaited overseas vacation has been highly anticipated by the family of three during the "Golden Week" which offers a nice respite for them.
"New Zealand has a lot of unique natural scenery and many different places from China. We would like to have a special experience with our son," said Dong who planned a 13-day family trip in both of New Zealand's North and South Islands.
The National Day holiday, dubbed "Golden Week" by the Chinese, normally runs for seven days on Oct. 1-7 annually. A longer holiday fuels people's enthusiasm to travel, with popular Chinese tourist destinations flooded by visitors. Overseas tourism industries have increasingly benefited from China's holiday economy consumption boom.
Chinese tourists are now spending more on specialty food, attractions and experiences, such as glacier hiking, skydiving and other extreme activities, said Uncle Rong, head of Travel Together Ltd, a tour operator in New Zealand's South Island.
However, due to the increase in self-driving tourists, the number of travel agency orders has dropped, Rong said.
Gregg Wafelbakker, General Manager Asia for Tourism New Zealand, said arrivals to New Zealand for the Golden Week have been strong, possibly higher than in 2023, as October is spring in New Zealand which is an excellent time to visit. The arrivals data will come out after the holiday.
According to Tourism New Zealand, 60 percent of Chinese tourist arrivals are during off-peak seasons with spring the most popular.
July visitor arrivals were 92 percent of the 2019 levels, and preliminary data for August was also above 90 percent, Wafelbakker said, adding, "We are confident September will also be strong given our emphasis in China on New Zealand's winter holiday."
Local tourism businesses value visitors during the Golden Week as it falls outside of New Zealand's summer peak, he said, adding that tourism businesses welcomed Chinese visitors by having Chinese-speaking guides and offering payment options Chinese travelers are familiar with.
The introduction of Alipay and WeChat Pay is one of the key measures to facilitate the stay of tech-savvy Chinese visitors.
New Zealand's traditional spectacular landscapes and unique culture offer diverse opportunities for travelers to experience, Wafelbakker said, adding that anti-season to China gives a fresh feeling to Chinese travelers.
New Zealand's international tourism is continuing to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a normalizing of tourism flows of international visitors returning in droves along with strong spending increases in hospitality services and visitor experiences, said Tourism Minister Matt Doocey.
Lisa Li, managing director of China Travel Service in New Zealand, said through sustained marketing efforts, enhanced flight connectivity, and visa reforms, New Zealand has the opportunity to accelerate the return of Chinese tourists, gradually restoring this critical market, which was second largest behind Australia pre-COVID.
Between May and July, even during New Zealand's low season, visitor numbers rose incrementally, which is a positive indicator of demand, Li said.
Tourism has stepped up to become New Zealand's second-biggest export earner, as it has generated 3.7 percent of the country's gross domestic product, statistics showed.
Although the number of guests has not reached the pre-pandemic level, there is a higher proportion of younger, self-guided, independent travelers this year, and the planes to New Zealand from Shanghai and Guangzhou are full, said Nick Jiang, head of the Christchurch-based Hi Travel tourist company.
Young Chinese tourists tend to come in small groups such as only two to six people, Jiang said, adding that many of his clients chose hiking, skiing, or mountaineering during their New Zealand holidays.
"I could hear many Sichuan- and Shanghai-accented young couples in the streets of Queenstown. They visited New Zealand on annual leave," he said, adding that large consumptions in outdoor and ski equipment stores were basically from Chinese tourists.
In the first quarter of 2024, Chinese tourists contributed 490 million NZ dollars to New Zealand's economy, a close second to Australian tourists. A total of 226,401 visitors from China arrived in New Zealand between May 2023 and May 2024, staying on average for 10 days, statistics showed.
A tourist safe-driving week was launched in New Zealand by the Chinese Embassy and Consulates and car rental platforms and companies to promote safety awareness among self-driving tourists for the Golden Week.
There are 61 million people in China seriously considering a holiday in New Zealand, 62 percent of whom have New Zealand as their top choice, according to a survey from Tourism New Zealand. ■