Potential seen in China tourism

One of the promotional images of Queenstown used by China Southern Airlines in its  domestic...
One of the promotional images of Queenstown used by China Southern Airlines in its domestic campaign, which is a joint venture with Tourism New Zealand and Auckland International Airport. Photo supplied.
Big-spending Chinese tourists want "contrasting scenery and a warmth and depth of experience in a short space of time" and Queenstown operators should start now on cultural understanding and building trade relationships with the growing Chinese market.

This was the message on Friday from Glen Wedlock, a former Queenstown tourism chief, who is now aeronautical business development general manager at Auckland International Airport.

Mr Wedlock said he worked with new and established airlines to expand services and markets.

He headed the two-year project to introduce China Southern Airlines to Auckland airport, which would have business dividends for "strategic alliance" partner Queenstown Airport and Wakatipu operators, he said.

Queenstown was forecast to take a 14% slice of the estimated 120,000 Chinese arrivals this year and the number of arrivals was expected to quickly increase, as more direct flights were scheduled and promotion continued.

Chinese arrivals were predicted to be worth $423 million in revenue to New Zealand tourism in 2011, compared with revenue from arrivals from the United States of $669 million.

However, Mr Wedlock expected tourism revenue from China to exceed the US in the next five years.

"I think there's an opportunity for operators in Queenstown to grab 30% to 40% of the Chinese value spent on the ground," Mr Wedlock said.

He said there was an emerging Chinese middle-class, who had a high disposable income and who were embracing products which were not traditionally part of their culture, such as red wine.

There was also an emergence of Chinese "semi-structured FIT (free and independent traveller) groups driving in cars".

Mr Wedlock said the Chinese market was largely "dual destination" to Australia and New Zealand, although he expected the new China Southern direct flights to Auckland would allow more Chinese visitors to recognise the differences between what the two countries had on offer, as well as prompting longer stays on their part in New Zealand.

Chinese tourists spent four to six nights in New Zealand on average, but the duration was increasing year on year.

A typical Chinese holiday-maker's expenditure was about $300 a night and second only to Japan, Mr Wedlock said.

"We've been working hard on development of itineraries to Queenstown across some of the long-haul services out of Auckland, and the development of transtasman services from Queenstown is quite important and the Auckland domestic connection as well," Mr Wedlock said.

Auckland was the entry point for China Southern into New Zealand, but the airline's senior management and executive team had "greater confidence" in Queenstown for potential direct flights from Guangzhou, he said.

China Southern had worked with Auckland airport and Tourism New Zealand to launch a $10 million marketing campaign in China, which began this month and will run until April.

More promotional activity will follow.

The Chinese campaign features Queenstown and its tourism products in television commercials and print media advertisements, including China Southern's own publications.

The first China Southern flight will arrive in Auckland on April 9

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement