Current location:Culture Connect news portal > style
1st Chinese tour group lands in New Zealand in 3 years
Culture Connect news portal2024-05-08 15:27:31【style】8People have gathered around
IntroductionChinese tourists take part in a welcome ceremony at the Auckland Airport in Auckland, New Zealand, M
Chinese tourists take part in a welcome ceremony at the Auckland Airport in Auckland, New Zealand, March 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)
A group of Chinese tourists on board the China Southern Airlines CZ305 that arrived at the Auckland Airport Friday evening was welcomed at a special ceremony with gifts and traditional performances.
The tour group of 61 Chinese travellers is the first official Chinese tour group to arrive in New Zealand since early 2020.
Tourists in this tour group have been waiting for their New Zealand trip for a long time. Sixty-seven-year-old Wang Li and her husband were excited to kick-start their first international trip in three years. "New Zealand has been our life dream destination for many years," she said.
Jiang Weizu, 76, is the eldest in this tour group. He has several hundred social media followers who want to watch him travel through live-streaming. "I booked my New Zealand trip three years ago before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that I am finally here, my followers can't wait to watch my live-streaming from New Zealand," said Jiang.
New Zealand's government officials, Chinese embassy representatives and business leaders welcomed the tour group at the airport. Pounamu (New Zealand greenstone jade) pendants and New Zealand-China diplomatic relations 50th anniversary first-day covers were presented to the tourists as gifts at the ceremony, which also featured New Zealand traditional Maori performances.
Counsellor Dong Zhixue from the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand said the landing of the first tourist group marks a historic moment in the resumption of tourism cooperation between China and New Zealand. The tourism industry is significant in promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
"Every Chinese tourist is a people ambassador of China-New Zealand friendship," said Dong.
On behalf of Tourism Minister Peeni Henare, New Zealand Member of Parliament Naisi Chen said, "we are pleased that China has resumed outbound groups and has chosen New Zealand to be one of 20 countries under the new pilot program."
The tourism relationship with China is important to New Zealand, and the New Zealand industry will be excited to welcome back Chinese tourists, Chen added.
Before the pandemic, China is an important tourism market for New Zealand. In 2019, New Zealand welcomed 400,000 visitors from China, making it the country's second-largest visitor market. The country remained committed to the China market and worked hard over the pandemic to maintain its appeal.
At the welcome ceremony, Angela Blair, general manager of the International of Tourism New Zealand, said they are very excited to welcome back Chinese visitors with restrictions being lifted and group travel possible again.
"Your visit will take you to many beautiful regions across the country, and we hope that you have the opportunity to experience all that New Zealand has to offer - our unique wildlife, spectacular natural landscapes, adventure offerings, distinct local culture, fine food and wine, and a very special type of hospitality that we call manaakitanga," she said.
Scott Tasker, Chief Customer Officer at Auckland Airport, said that across March and through into early May, the three airlines currently connecting Auckland with the Chinese mainland - China Southern, China Eastern and Air New Zealand - are all bringing on more flights to them.
"It will provide a late summer boost to the tourism sector. As we roll out of the summer peak into the autumn shoulder season, which we all know is a fantastic time to visit New Zealand, we start seeing some of the North American seasonal services reduce. The arrival of more capacity from the Chinese connections will help smooth the cycle and extend the summer season for our local tourism operators," said Tasker.
From late March, passenger flight services between China and New Zealand will increase. Besides the tourists boost, the increase in flights means that air freight capacity between the two countries will grow.
China is Auckland Airport's second-largest air freight market, with volumes growing 13 percent year-on-year and up 5.5 percent from 2019 despite COVID-19 restrictions.
With the belly-hold of passenger aircraft traditionally providing 80 percent of Auckland Airport's air freight capacity, the increase in services on a key trading route will also be welcomed by New Zealand businesses, said Tasker.
Address of this article:http://sweden.brianlynch.org/content-71e199738.html
Very good!(7871)
Related articles
- Kenvue, Crocs rise; Disney, Teradata fall, Tuesday, 5/7/2024
- Early settlement of situation on China
- One Extraordinary Photo: An AP photographer explains how he captured the total eclipse
- China's first homegrown polar icebreaker Xuelong 2 arrives in Hong Kong
- Mother of Australian surfers killed in Mexico gives moving tribute to sons
- Assange faces further wait for appeal against extradition to US
- Vegas, US tour and more signings: Wrexham has plenty of fun and work ahead after latest promotion
- Xi, Honduran president exchange congratulations on 1st anniversary of ties
- Official resigns after guilty plea to drug conspiracy in Mississippi and North Carolina vape shops
- Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's 3 sons killed in Israeli raid
Popular articles
- From flooding in Brazil and Houston to brutal heat in Asia, extreme weather seems nearly everywhere
- Assange faces further wait for appeal against extradition to US
- Bodies of foreign aid workers transferred to Egypt from Gaza
- S. Korea's opposition party leads parliamentary elections with 62.5% votes counted
Recommended
Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras breaks left forearm when hit by J.D. Martinez's bat
Türkiye's opposition takes election lead in key cities
Bodies of foreign aid workers transferred to Egypt from Gaza
Chinese researchers develop immunotherapeutic agent for colon cancer
Woman, 31, was left 'burning from the inside out' in 17
Lang Lang becomes 1st Chinese musician to receive Hollywood Walk of Fame star
Season of flowers: Bullet trains bound for spring in Xizang
Tuning in to Beijing's charms
Links
- Funding needed to take show aimed at disabled communities around Aotearoa
- Unlicensed Hastings driver toppled motorcyclist, drove over him, causing fatal injuries, then fled
- North Korea's Kim Jong Un turns 40 ... maybe
- Wastewater testing reveals alcohol consumption higher in smaller towns
- Prime Minister Christopher Luxon corrects himself on Gaza statement
- Kenneth Eugene Smith: Alabama carries out first US nitrogen gas execution
- Grammys 2024: Photos from the 66th annual awards
- Biden: US will defend Philippines if vessels are attacked — Radio Free Asia
- Swedish alarm after defence chiefs' war warning
- Hamas airs video of Israeli hostages, says will disclose their fate