In a recent development, China has added New Zealand to its list of visa-free countries, leading to a significant uptick in online searches related to China among New Zealand tourists. The announcement triggered a 65 percent increase in searches for China-related keywords on the online travel agency Trip.com within just 30 minutes.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang conveyed during talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Wellington that China’s decision aims to enhance bilateral relations by facilitating easier travel for New Zealand citizens. Premier Li emphasized China’s commitment to strengthening cooperation in education, culture, and fostering closer people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
Industry experts foresee that this visa-free policy will not only bolster economic and trade exchanges but also boost inbound tourism from New Zealand to China. Qin Jing, Vice President of Trip.com, highlighted the resurgence in direct flights between the two countries since December 2023, which have now returned to pre-pandemic levels, supporting increased tourist flows.
“Inbound tourism orders from New Zealand have surged nearly 60 percent year-on-year since the start of 2024, marking New Zealand as the 15th largest source of inbound tourism for China,” noted Qin Jing in a statement to the Global Times.
The resumption and expansion of direct flights, particularly between major Chinese cities and Auckland, have been pivotal in stimulating tourism between the two countries, according to industry insiders. Stats NZ reported a notable rise in Chinese visitor arrivals to New Zealand, with April 2024 recording 10,400 visitors, making China the second largest source of overseas visitors after Australia.
Flight bookings from China to New Zealand have more than doubled on the popular Chinese travel platform Qunar.com, reflecting increasing interest among Chinese tourists in exploring New Zealand’s natural attractions such as firefly caves, hobbit villages, glaciers, and penguin habitats.
The move to grant visa-free access signifies a mutual effort to strengthen ties and foster greater tourism and cultural exchanges between China and New Zealand, signaling a positive outlook for future bilateral relations in these areas.