Gov't study to help New Zealand grow China tourist market

The New Zealand government is aiming for a boost to Chinese visitor numbers following the publication of an official report Tuesday on the country's second biggest tourist market.

The China Visitor Insight report, published by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment, would help local businesses develop a deeper insight into the expectations of independent Chinese travelers, said Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett.

"China is the fastest growing and second largest source market for visitors to New Zealand, with expenditure increasing 61 percent to over 1.3 billion NZ dollars (863.98 million U.S. dollars) for year ending June 2015," Bennett said in a statement.

The research provided insights into a broad range of areas, from ways to encourage Chinese visitors to explore beyond the main tourist centers to common misconceptions about the seasonal temperatures in New Zealand.

"Findings highlighted that Chinese visitors often think our seasons are similar to their own, when New Zealand seasons are far more moderate and less extreme," said Bennett.

"This insight alone offers a great opportunity for tourism operators to promote opportunities for year round visits," she said.

"It also helps us understand how to encourage visitors - in particular the growing number of repeat visitors - to experience many regions of New Zealand, not just the most popular tourist destinations. This is fantastic for regional development."

Tourism operators would get an opportunity to learn about the research in a series of regional workshops early in 2016. Endit