Extra Chinese flights a boost to tourism

Extra Chinese flights a boost to tourism

Additional flights from China announced by Air New Zealand today are a boost for the tourism industry, the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) says.

The announcement shows that Air New Zealand has confidence in forecast strong demand from Chinese visitors, TIA Chief Executive Tim Cossar says.

"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."

The growth in the Chinese market comes at a time when economies in some of New Zealand's key traditional visitor markets like the US and UK are 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," Mr Cossar says.
ends

© Scoop Media