New Zealand has always been an attractive spot for Chinese tourists. China is considered to be the second biggest international visitor market for New Zealand and presents a significant source of income from tourists.
Tourism New Zealand works thoroughly with Chinese counterparts to actively promote marketing activity and make the country interesting for foreigners.
But recent months have resulted in declining numbers from Chinese tourists. We can blame several factors for the dwindling numbers, and we will thoroughly explain them in the following article.
Trade war and terror attacks take its toll
It’s not been a long time since terror attacks occurred in Christchurch on 15 March 2019. It was the deadliest attack in modern New Zealand history, which killed 51 people and injured 49. No one was expecting this attack, as New Zealand is known for its relatively low number of the homicide rate, let alone terrorist attacks.
Country’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned the violence and urged all security agencies to provide an inquiry. The attack became a slap in the face, pushing the country to better perceive the new challenges emanating from terrorist organizations.
What is more noteworthy, a large number of Chinese tourists show their willingness to play New Zealand real money VIP casino games, when they are visiting the country. Mostly, it is due to China’s strict gambling laws and repressive measures, and foreigners tend to consume their services. And with the US-China trade war, this field became increasingly affected too.
With the start of the US-China trade war, Donald Trump imposed severe sanctions on China’s economy, which resulted in many people losing their jobs. While New Zealand is an economically developed country with a high cost of living compared to China, some tourists simply could not afford traveling to New Zealand anymore.
The hopes looked promising for the upcoming Chinese New Year in late January, but another huge problem emerged worldwide – coronavirus.
Coronavirus – a deadly disease roaming worldwide
Trade war and terror attacks are not the sole reasons for diminishing numbers, as coronavirus sparked a lot of disturbance in China. The disease began in December and got to the highest point in January killing already more than 1,000 people.
The disease led to flight cancellations and reschedulings, while most Chinese tourists were ready to attend Chinese New Year in New Zealand. But the dangers of coronavirus caused travel restrictions and some countries temporarily stopped flights with China.
There has been no case of coronavirus in New Zealand so far. Due to its deadly nature, all the countries are trying to contain the spread of the virus as best as they can. No question, the tourism industry of New Zealand will be severely affected by the restrictions though the well-being and health of citizens are more vital to care about.
