Tourism welcomes lunar festival’s $165m boost
The tourism industry has the welcome mat out for up to 33,000 Chinese holidaymakers arriving to celebrate Chinese New Year, and they are traditionally big spenders.
With 2017 being the Year of the Rooster, souvenir shops, airports and tourist operations are bedecked with rooster posters and signs in Mandarin ready for the celebrations on January 28.
Tourism New Zealand is expecting between 27,000 and 33,000 Chinese visitors to arrive over the next fortnight.
With an average spend of $5000 per head, they could inject up to $165 million into the economy.
The New Year influx is getting a boost from a 60 per cent increase in direct flights from China, which helped push the Chinese visitor total past 400,000 last year, making China our second-largest market behind Australia.
Auckland Airport’s acting general manager of aeronautical and commercial, Scott Tasker, said 1800 seats a day were available on direct flights into Auckland from China during the Chinese New Year and loadings were strong.
Christchurch Airport is likely to see about 10,000 Chinese arrivals over the period, according to Justin Watson, the airport’s chief commercial officer of aeronautical.
‘‘We’re attracting higher-value independent travellers who spend more than the average Chinese visitor, so the estimated impact of Chinese visitors over the New Year is $63m million.’’
Watson said every Chinese holidaymaker flying direct into Christchurch brought an extra $2611 to the South Island because they stayed almost a week in the south, compared to just 1.3 nights if they flew into Auckland.
Areas that attract large numbers of Chinese tourists over the annual holiday are gearing up for their arrival.
Auckland and Christchurch airports have Mandarin-speaking hosts on hand to assist visitors who speak little or no English.
Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism has put together a promotional video for Chinese social media channels featuring Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel, city tram drivers, and a punt operator wishing visitors a happy new year in Mandarin.
Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Resort is preparing for about 4500 Chinese visitors in the month after New Year and will randomly give away vouchers in red envelopes – a traditional Chinese New Year good luck gift – to Chinese customers.
Tourism NZ’S director of trade, public relations and major events, Rene de Monchy, said the pressure was on because Chinese New Year in 2017 fell during the holiday season before school resumed.
As a result, last-minute bookings were proving challenging, Destination Queenstown chief executive Graham Budd said.
The ease of booking online meant Chinese visitors could be a bit complacent about securing rooms when they bought flights.
‘‘They might book 15 people in their family on a plane, then arrive here without accommodation booked. That doesn’t make sense.’’
Budd said those turning up in Queenstown without a booking would end up paying a high premium, and he had heard of groups forced to drive an hour away to find somewhere to stay.