China joint office boon to tourism

The opening of a joint New Zealand immigration and tourism office in Shanghai is a welcome move and will help simplify the process for Chinese tourists wanting to visit the Wakatipu, Destination Queenstown says.

Immigration Minister and Associate Tourism Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman said last week New Zealand took the first step in making entry for Chinese nationals easier with the opening of the amalgamated office.

It was the Government's response to demand from one of the country's fastest-growing tourist markets, worth about $365 million a year.

DQ chief executive Tony Everitt said he set up the Tourism New Zealand office in China in 2000, with the original sole-charge employee responsible for processing visas. However, the immigration and tourism offices in Shanghai had been separate for some time, as the departments had outgrown the space available.

"I believe a similar arrangement has just been effected in Mumbai, another Tourism New Zealand office I established. These immigration links are critical because these are markets where all visitors to New Zealand do require a visa, which is unusual in terms of New Zealand's major tourism markets [which are] are mostly visa-free.

"They're combining the two so we can expect greater efficiencies and more effective operation because they'll be able to have a closer working relationship and share resources.

"The process is becoming more streamlined and that's good to hear. It creates opportunities for a bigger punch for New Zealand in the Chinese market."

There were various types of visa available to Chinese nationals to visit New Zealand. Most Chinese tourists booked their holiday with a travel agent, who would organise visas.

However, China Elite chief executive Pierre Gervois told Trenz media in May the "old-fashioned" concept of group tours was being steadily rejected by affluent urban Chinese travellers.

The new generation of wealthy Chinese travellers sought exclusivity and extreme luxury as a way of differentiating themselves from middle-class Chinese outbound travellers, Mr Gervois said.

China has 960,000 millionaires with a personal wealth of 10 million yuan ($2 million) or more.

Queenstown was the focus of a $1 million campaign earlier this year by Queenstown Airport minor shareholder Auckland International Airport to attract high-value tourists, especially from China and the United States.

The initiative started soon after the $10 million campaign around the launch of direct China Southern Airlines flights from China to Auckland in April. There were scheduled to be 14 direct flights a week by China Southern and Air New Zealand by this month.