New Zealand has many unique and magnificent natural scenery like the filming locations of the movie 'The Lord of the Rings', which is opposite to the seasons in China and has a completely different style. We want to experience a special experience with our son, "said Dong Bing, a Chinese Beijing tourist who is currently on a two-week family trip in New Zealand. In recent years, New Zealand's international tourism business has increasingly benefited from China's holiday economy. During this year's China National Day Golden Week, New Zealand has once again become a popular destination for Chinese tourists. Greg Wefelbach, General Manager of Tourism New Zealand Asia, said that New Zealand's magnificent landscapes and unique culture provide tourists with diverse experience opportunities, and off-season tourism brings freshness to Chinese tourists. During the Golden Week, the number of New Zealand arrivals may exceed the same period in 2023. Liao Jinrong, the head of a tourism operator in the South Island of New Zealand, said that Chinese tourists are now spending more on specialty foods, attractions, and experiences, such as extreme activities like glacier hiking and skydiving, and the proportion of self driving tours is constantly increasing. New Zealand is renowned for its magnificent glaciers, and the easily accessible Tasman Glacier attracts numerous Chinese tourists who are exploring the glacier on foot. Dong Bing's family went on a glacier hike on the 7th, and their 5-year-old son was excited. As it is not yet the peak tourist season in New Zealand, the local government attaches great importance to inbound tourists during the Chinese National Day Golden Week. The signs at Auckland and Christchurch international airports in New Zealand are in both Chinese and English for the convenience of Chinese tourists. Weifelbach said that in order to attract Chinese tourists, New Zealand not only provides Chinese tour guides, but also offers payment methods familiar to Chinese tourists. Dong Bing and his family have always paid with Alipay when shopping in local supermarkets and souvenir stores. New Zealand Tourism Minister Matt Ducy said that New Zealand's tourism industry is recovering from the impact of the COVID-19, and the return of international tourists has made the tourism flow normal. According to data from Tourism New Zealand, the number of Chinese tourists arriving in July this year was 92% of the pre pandemic peak level in 2019, and preliminary data for August also exceeded 90%. Weifelbach said that he believes the number of Chinese tourists arriving in September will also be high. Li Ruiqin, General Manager of New Zealand China Travel Service, stated that through continuous market promotion, strengthening flight connections, and optimizing visa policies, New Zealand may see an accelerated return of Chinese tourists. Jiang Yiming, the head of a tourism company in New Zealand, said that flights from Shanghai and Guangzhou to New Zealand are often fully booked. Among Chinese tourists, a higher proportion of young independent travelers choose hiking, skiing, or mountain climbing. I see many young people with Sichuan and Shanghai accents on the streets of Queenstown, who use their annual leave to travel to New Zealand Jiang Yiming said that the large consumption of outdoor shops and ski equipment stores related to tourism mostly comes from Chinese tourists. According to data from Statistics New Zealand, in the first quarter of 2024, Chinese tourists spent 490 million New Zealand dollars (1 New Zealand dollar is about 4.33 yuan) in New Zealand, second only to Australian tourists. Between May 2023 and May 2024, 226400 Chinese tourists arrived in New Zealand with an average stay of 10 days. (New Society)