Li Xin, deputy consul-general at the Chinese consulate in Christchurch, sounded the warning in an interview with ODT Insight as New Zealand geared up for another bumper tourist season this summer.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister John Key, also the Minister of Tourism, is still refusing to budge on mandatory tests for all tourist drivers, telling the newspaper he does not see a case for change "at this stage".
The comments followed high-profile fatal crashes caused by tourists in recent years, including the one that killed Dunedin motorcyclist Riley Baker in August.
Mr Baker died when Chinese tourist Limin Ma’s rental car crossed the centre line near Shag Point, prompting fresh calls for tourist driver testing from his grieving partner, Amy McCarthy, and his sister, Sarah Baker.
Tourists were blamed for 5% of all crashes on New Zealand roads, with Chinese drivers now a close second, just behind much larger numbers of Australian visitors, in visitor crash statistics.
With forecasts of further rapid growth in tourist numbers generally, and Chinese visitors in particular, alarm bells are ringing for some, ODT Insight has found.
Mr Key, in a statement, said the Government was working to ensure all drivers were safe on New Zealand’s roads, but he did not support mandatory driving tests for tourists.
Nor did Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss, who said the idea had been considered, and rejected, by a parliamentary select committee last year.
Mr Li would not offer a view on mandatory tests, but told the ODT he supported the growing use of online tools to help educate Chinese and other tourist drivers about New Zealand conditions.
There was no doubt some Chinese drivers struggled with distraction, fatigue and unfamiliar conditions in New Zealand, but the Chinese consulate was working with New Zealand authorities to help improve safety, he said.
That work was "heading in the right direction" but had to continue, or the relationship between New Zealanders and their Chinese visitors could suffer, he said.
"We know that is a concern both to the locals and also to us. We really do not want to see such high-profile accidents. We really don’t want our countrymen to come here for a holiday and suddenly get killed or get wounded.
"My concern is how the local Kiwi friends will view the Chinese tourists — their thinking about Chinese tourists.
"On the whole, more tourists coming to New Zealand should be a good thing for both of us. But if there are too many accidents ... it certainly will have a negative impact, I think."
However, Mr Li doubted more crashes would damage diplomatic relations between the two countries, and nor would it hurt New Zealand’s tourism reputation in China.
"The road conditions here can be challenging, but that’s not the problem of the New Zealanders.
"I think how to get used to that is a problem for the Chinese, so I don’t think they will blame the New Zealand roads or blame the New Zealand scenery, or others, for their accidents."
