Chinese Kiwis sell Godzone to friends and relatives
Chinese Kiwis are spending up large on exploring New Zealand, and they have a big influence on the travel plans of visiting friends and family.
An online survey of 1183 Chinese New Zealanders by Trace Research estimated Chinese residents spent about $315 million on domestic holidays last year, making three trips on average, with Rotorua, Taupo and Waikato their top destinations.
Enjoying natural scenery, hot springs and spas, and hiking were their favourite activities.
And because they often did not have friends and family to stay with, the average holiday spend of Chinese Kiwis was about $1500 per person annually, triple that of other New Zealanders.
Chief executive of China Travel Service Lisa Li said tourism operators should be tapping into this potentially lucrative market.
Her company handles 40,000 inbound visitors each year and sells bus tours run under contract by local Chinese bus companies employing driver guides. But Li said local Chinese had a major impact on where visitors went and what they did.
‘‘The impact is not just on those from mainland China, but also from America, the Aussie Chinese market, and friends and relatives living in Europe.’’
Sam Pan, who lives near Hamilton, said he and his family usually took New Zealand holidays once or twice a year, and helped visitors from China decide where to go.
Queenstown, Christchurch, Rotorua and Bay of Islands were
usually on the list and he advised firsttime visitors to avoid self-driving.
The Trace Research survey showed almost 70 per cent of Chinese Kiwis advise first-time visitors from mainland China to take a Chinese bus tour instead of hiring a car.
Trace chief executive Dr Andrew Zhu said the longer Chinese had lived here, the more likely they were to recommend that, which went against the growing trend for Chinese tourists to travel independently.
‘‘I’ve been here 17 years and I would never recommend a self-drive tour. We know the risk of having strangers on the road without a New Zealand driver’s licence. It’s a safety concern.
‘‘Next time they come, they’re more than happy to do independent travel.’’
Time was also a factor because Chinese Kiwis were often busy working and could not take time off to host visitors on a tour.
Zhu said the research also showed a mismatch between the travel expectations of the two groups.
‘‘Mainland Chinese come here and want to shop, but local Chinese recommend don’t shop, you come here to enjoy the experience, and you can buy all this stuff on line on e-commerce platforms.’’
The exception to that was New Zealand wine, which was much cheaper here than in China.
According to the survey, about 40 per cent of Chinese Aucklanders made at least one trip to the South Island last year, where the Queenstown area was the most popular destination followed by Christchurch.