Extra flights from China announced by Air New Zealand last week are a boost for the tourism industry, the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand says.
The announcement showed Air New Zealand had confidence in forecast strong demand from Chinese visitors, association chief executive Tim Cossar said in a statement.
"China is now New Zealand's fourth largest visitor market and forecasts show that it is expected to grow quickly in the next few years, following on a 20% increase in 2010.
"Air New Zealand's announcement, coming on top of increases in air capacity recently announced by China Southern Airlines, give us a real opportunity to make a significant impact on this market," Mr Cossar said.
The growth in the Chinese market came as economies in some traditional visitor markets, including the United States and United Kingdom, were still under pressure.
"While some sectors of New Zealand's tourism industry may not feel immediate benefits from increasing Chinese visitor numbers, it is vital for the long-term future of our tourism industry that we grow demand across a range of markets."
