Menus in Mandarin, staff learning phrases, adding congee (rice porridge) to breakfast buffets and maintaining "good old southern friendliness and smiles", were some of the tips offered to about 150 Queenstown tourism operators looking for a share of the booming Chinese market.
Destination Queenstown organised a China Forum, in the Crowne Plaza hotel, on Friday, in response to members' interest in what is expected to become the world's largest tourism market in 10 years and New Zealand's largest long-haul market in the next few years.
Members heard Chinese tourists were expected to extend their average two-day stay in Queenstown to three days or more, due to the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes. Wakatipu imagery continued to be used extensively in Chinese travel advertising and New Zealand had a very good word-of-mouth reputation in China.
Casinos, pubs, nightlife, activities and scenery were said to be in Queenstown's favour. Chinese had an appetite for local social, ecological and historical stories and Arrowtown had its Chinese gold-mining heritage attraction.
Shopping, personal connections and Western cuisine were sought after by Chinese, who were more likely to have a grasp of English the younger they were, and enjoyed the fellowship of travelling in small groups.
Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) Asia-Japan general manager Mark Frood, on Skype, said TNZ was developing the free independent traveller market in China, helped by Immigration New Zealand speeding up the processing of individual visa applications in Shanghai.
The organisations would update travel traders during a roadshow in late June or July, which would also relay survey results of Chinese likes and dislikes regarding New Zealand.
Mr Ireland said the 14 direct flights a week by China Southern Airlines and Air New Zealand, by August this year, meant "big capacity and big potential."
DQ convention bureau manager Kylie Brittain said the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions market had huge potential for New Zealand. Dual-destination trips would increase - Auckland for business, Queenstown for fun.
Education was another lucrative market, with 4500 educational visas granted for Chinese to travel to New Zealand each year and an average of 21,000 Chinese studying in the country at any one time.
Mr Ireland said the average middle-aged Chinese was not overly adventurous and preferred softer activities, but "anything goes" for younger generations, keen to spend their money.
Auckland International Airport aeronautical business development general manager Glenn Wedlock said a trip to New Zealand was more expensive for Chinese than a trip to Australia, so affluent travellers were visiting Queenstown.
Chinese were always looking for the best of everything and networking was held in high regard. Chinese had a culture of buying gifts for family and friends and Australian data showed they spent more on shopping to take home than anything else.
THE CHINA SYNDROME
• China replaced the United States as New Zealand's second-largest export market, at $US2.66 billion.
• 57 million outbound trips by Chinese in 2010. New Zealand has 0.2% of current market.
• One in every 175 people in Shanghai has personal wealth of $US1.5 million.
• 30% luxury goods sales in London made to Chinese travellers.
• Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (mice) market increasing 20% every year since 2004 and accounted for 39.9% of total travel in 2010.
• 38.5% of mice travel is for conferences and 34.6% is for incentives.
• 13.6% of mice to New Zealand and Australia in the past two years.
• Queenstown receives 15% of Chinese visitors to New Zealand.
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