China is New Zealand's third largest market by arrivals. In 2019, it was our second largest international visitor market and one of the most valuable in terms of holiday visitor spend. The market is recovering after the opening of the China international border in January 2023.

Key market insights

• 219,000 visitors from China arrived between April 2023 – April 2024, 143,000 of these were holiday visitors.
• 60% of arrivals are during off-peak seasons with spring the most popular
• The average length of stay was 10 days
• Chinese visitors spent $1.1 billion in New Zealand, with $872 million by holidaymakers. The average spend per trip was $5,591, rising to $6,729 for holiday visitors.
• There are 61 million people in China seriously considering a holiday in New Zealand, 62% of these people have New Zealand as their top choice
• China visitors are drawn to New Zealand to experience our culture and our natural scenery. New Zealand is also seen as family friendly holiday destination.
• Popular activities include natural attractions such as enjoying mountains and lakes, hiking and national parks. There is also strong interest in our beaches, local towns and trying cuisine.
• Airline connectivity is 89% recovered since 2019