WELLINGTON - New Zealand has recorded a sharp increase in Chinese visitor arrivals following the introduction of a simplified travel scheme for eligible travellers entering via Australia.

The government launched a 12-month trial in November, allowing Chinese nationals and Pacific Island Forum passport holders travelling from Australia to enter New Zealand without applying for a traditional visitor visa.

Tourism Minister Louise Upston said the initiative had led to a 40 per cent increase in Chinese visitor arrivals during its first six months.

She said the programme had generated an estimated NZ$215 million in economic benefits, as reported by Bloomberg.

Tourism remains New Zealand’s second-largest export earner after the dairy sector and is a key pillar of the government's economic growth strategy.

The industry has become increasingly important as businesses contend with weak domestic spending, elevated fuel costs and broader economic uncertainty.

China was New Zealand’s second-largest tourism source market before the Covid-19 pandemic, but visitor numbers from China have yet to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels.

Government data showed that 90,111 electronic travel authorities had been issued to Chinese nationals as of May 31.

Of those, 79,078 had already been used for travel to New Zealand.

Upston said the increase in arrivals was supporting hotels, restaurants, cafes, retailers and tourism-related businesses across the country.

Under the trial, eligible travellers who already have permission to enter Australia can apply for an electronic travel authority to visit New Zealand.

The process is faster and less expensive than applying for a visitor visa.

The government said it would assess the trial’s outcomes before deciding whether to make the arrangement permanent.

Meanwhile, Auckland Airport expects further growth in travel demand from China.

The airport said seat capacity on routes connecting Auckland with mainland China is forecast to rise by eight per cent in the 12 months to October.

Additional flights are also expected during the peak summer travel season.

China Eastern Airlines is scheduled to increase its Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires service to four flights per week from December.

Auckland Airport chief customer officer Scott Tasker said stronger airline capacity would support both tourism and visits by friends and relatives.

He noted that Chinese visitors spend an average of nine days in New Zealand and approximately NZ$5,500 per trip.

Official statistics showed New Zealand welcomed 307,940 Chinese visitors in the 12 months to April, representing a 24 per cent increase from the previous year.

During the same period, the country received more than 387,000 visitors from the United States and over 1.5 million arrivals from Australia.