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A new visa-free travel option for eligible Chinese and Pacific visitors travelling from Australia is delivering a boost to tourism and regional economies, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston say.
In December, ministers confirmed that 13,000 travellers had visited New Zealand under the new setting, with 24,000 requests approved. Two months later, visits have risen to 36,800, with 54,000 requests approved.
Stanford says Chinese visitors account for about 36,200 of the arrivals through the new pathway.
“With average visitor spend at $5,800 for Chinese visitors, according to the International Visitor Survey, that amounts to an estimated economic injection of $210 million for Kiwi businesses from those who have visited.
“We are committed to supporting Kiwi businesses to thrive, and these results boost our wider tourism sector. Tourism is our second largest export and it is fantastic to see results which strengthen the industry,” says Stanford.
She says survey data shows 85 per cent of Chinese travellers and 82 per cent of Pacific travellers used the new NZeTA pathway specifically because of the change.
Upston says the additional visitor spending is flowing directly into regional economies.
“Visitor spending is going directly into local businesses. That includes shops, eateries, accommodation and tour operators — and this is spending which may not have come into New Zealand prior to the change.
“The South Island remains extremely popular, with 67 per cent of Chinese and Pacific visitors arriving at an international airport in the South Island to start their travels,” says Upston.
The ministers say the travel setting change supports regional growth and strengthens New Zealand’s international visitor recovery.
