[By Guancha Observer Network, Deng Jun; Edited by Zhao Qiankun]

According to international tourism industry media TTG Asia and the New Zealand Herald, New Zealand's tourism industry hopes to attract more Chinese tourists to help the market fully recover to pre-pandemic levels.

Every June, New Zealand in the southern hemisphere enters winter. Its mild climate, unique landscapes, and rich experiences make it an ideal off-season tourist destination for many travelers, especially suitable for skiing. In addition to snow activities in mountainous areas, New Zealand also offers a variety of unique outdoor experiences such as stargazing, encountering wildlife, bungee jumping, skydiving, etc. Moreover, the longer nights and lower humidity in winter make the skies clearer, which is the best time for stargazing and also the peak season for whale migration.

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Tourism is one of New Zealand's pillar industries, providing approximately 8.4% of national jobs and contributing about 3.7% to the country's GDP. Tourism has become an important engine for the current government to promote economic growth. Recently, New Zealand Immigration announced that starting from May 26, 2025, the application process for visitor visas (Visitor Visa) will be simplified, and non-English proof documents no longer need to be certified.

China has always been an important source market for New Zealand's tourism industry, and New Zealand is increasingly becoming a popular destination for Chinese tourists.

Statistics from Statistics New Zealand show that the total number of overseas visitors to New Zealand exceeded 3.3 million in 2024. Among them, Chinese tourists reached 248,000, ranking third in the international tourist market. Compared with 407,000 in 2019, the number of Chinese tourists has recovered more than 60%. Statistics New Zealand believes that the number of tourists from various countries is currently showing a recovery trend, and it can be expected that more Chinese people will choose New Zealand as a tourist destination.

The New Zealand Herald reported that recently, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon revealed that he plans to visit China this year to highlight New Zealand as a preferred tourist destination.

TTG Asia reported that Gregg Wafelbakker, General Manager of Tourism New Zealand’s Asia region, said that New Zealand is currently in its autumn and winter seasons, offering off-season travel experiences for Chinese tourists. The target audience for New Zealand tourism in China exceeds 60 million, and Tourism New Zealand is converting the interest of Chinese tourists into actual bookings through innovative destination marketing campaigns and partnerships, encouraging Chinese tourists to travel to New Zealand during off-peak seasons.

According to the latest report by Radio New Zealand (RNZ), Mayor Wayne Brown of Auckland appealed to the New Zealand government in his urban development vision statement to implement a visa-free policy with China to fully unleash the potential of Auckland's tourism economy.

"China - our largest trading partner - has no reason not to be included on the visa-exempt list," Brown said. "This issue needs to be resolved promptly so that airlines like China Eastern Airlines can provide services connecting the two economies via Auckland, injecting strong momentum into New Zealand's economy."

This article is an exclusive contribution by Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7504265700334174758/

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