World
Exceeding Expectations
Tourism between China and New Zealand gets a boost
By Li Fangfang & Zhang Shasha  ·  2019-04-12  ·   Source: Web Exclusive

 

A musician plays the guzheng, a traditional Chinese musical instrument, in Hastings, New Zealand, on April 5, 2019, in celebration of the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism (XINHUA)

The 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism presents opportunities for people in the two countries to learn more about each other, as New Zealand prepares for a larger influx of Chinese tourists, said travel industry insiders from New Zealand.

"The key opportunities for us are obviously tourism, people-to-people links, and education and trade," Mark Frood, International Tourism and Market Development Manager at Auckland International Airport Ltd., said in a recent interview with Beijing Review. "I think we can share and learn quite a bit together regarding tourism."

The China-New Zealand Year of Tourism was launched on March 29 at the National Museum of New Zealand. In a congratulatory message, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said, "Tourism is an important area of cooperation and a driving force for our peoples' mutual understanding and friendly ties."

Last year, there were about 600,000 visits between the two countries. China is the second largest overseas tourist market for New Zealand.

More New Zealanders are going to China, learning the language and culture, and coming back to share their new understanding. Over the year, there will be more of these programs, Frood said.

As a former advisor on the New Zealand-China Council Belt and Road framework, Frood has appreciated the role of the Belt and Road Initiative in tourism and trade development between the two countries over the past few years.

Trade facilitation policies and opportunities from technological advancements also offer great possibilities, he said, adding that digital platforms on social media have provided business opportunities for both countries' small and medium enterprises. Chinese digital payment platforms like AliPay are broadly used across New Zealand, while WeChat, China's largest multi-purpose messaging and social media app, is being used to communicate with people on the ground who can pinpoint local opportunities, he said.

"Tourism is a crucial part of our bilateral relationship and is a particularly important driver of economic growth. There was an 8.8-percent increase in Chinese holiday-goers to New Zealand from 2017 to 2018," New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at the opening ceremony.

By 2024, New Zealand will have more than 800,000 Chinese tourist visits, she added.

While there is great potential for New Zealand to tap into the Chinese market, there are also challenges. "The Chinese market has evolved extremely quickly," Frood said. Four years ago, 80 percent of Chinese tourists came to New Zealand on group tours and only 20 percent were independent travelers who rented cars and toured around the country on their own. That's completely reversed now, he said.

"We have seen a massive change in a very quick period of time and New Zealand companies need to adapt quickly," he said. "The challenge for New Zealanders is to ensure that tourists' experiences exceed their expectations."

Understanding more thoroughly how WeChat and AliPay work is also a key task, he said.

New Zealand's tourism industry is rapidly adapting, understanding Chinese consumers' behaviors better, said Zhong Junjian, Asia-Pacific Director of SkyCity Auckland, an entertainment complex. "We have Chinese marketing consultants who understand Chinese customers and we are actively creating strategies that are suitable for Chinese consumers," he added.

"These challenges are good," Frood said, confident in New Zealand's allure, with its geographical advantages, Maori indigenous culture and updated tourism experiences that will "help New Zealand go to another level with Chinese tourism in the future."

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

Comments to zhangshsh@bjreview.com 

China
Opinion
World
Business
Lifestyle
Video
Multimedia
 
China Focus
Documents
Special Reports
 
About Us
Contact Us
Advertise with Us
Subscribe
Partners: China.org.cn   |   China Today   |   China Pictorial   |   People's Daily Online   |   Women of China   |   Xinhua News Agency   |   China Daily
CGTN   |   China Tibet Online   |   China Radio International   |   Global Times   |   Qiushi Journal
Copyright Beijing Review All rights reserved 京ICP备08005356号 京公网安备110102005860