Retailers and tourism operators are being urged to make the most of an expected influx of Chinese visitors heading to Wellington during the upcoming cruise season.
A record 123 cruise ship visits are scheduled to visit Wellington this summer.
It includes, for the first time, the Hong Kong-based Explorer Dream with capacity for 2800 passengers plus crew. The ship will visit Wellington on seven separate occasions. Each time, around half its passengers will be Chinese.
A free 90-minute Alibaba workshop at the James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel on August 21 will show local businesses how to get the best returns from the Chinese tourism market in time for the start of the cruise season.
WellingtonNZ general manager David Perks says it’s becoming increasingly important for retailers to adopt Chinese payment methods such as Alipay and WeChat Pay alongside more traditional payment platforms.
“In China, mobile payments are a part of everyday life in a society that’s fast becoming cashless," says David.
"Alibaba statistics show 67 per cent of Chinese tourists preferred to use mobile payments when travelling and are four times more likely to buy a product or service if QR payment is offered.”
David says the Chinese visitor spend in New Zealand fell by 1.1 per cent in the year ending June 2019.
“While the Chinese visitor spend in New Zealand has fallen, Wellington City has bucked the trend and experienced spending growth of 15.7 per cent, while the Wellington region has grown by 14.6 per cent.
"It validates the work we’ve been doing with our Team Wellington partners – Weta Studio Tours, Te Papa, KiwiRail, and Wellington International Airport – which aims to increase the emerging class of independent Chinese travellers to the region."
The Alibaba workshop is presented by WellingtonNZ, in partnership with Christchurch Airport's South programme and the Alibaba Group. Experts from these organisations will present an update on the China market, what makes a great China experience, growing pre-travel sales with Fliggy which is one of China’s biggest online travel sellers operated by Alibaba, and a Q&A session.
WellingtonNZ works with Christchurch Airport for Wellington businesses to be promoted on the Chinese online store Fliggy.
