Air New Zealand has announced it will launch two additional direct services between New Zealand and China in response to ongoing growth of New Zealand travelers visiting China.
The airline said that it would add an additional Auckland to Shanghai service and an additional Auckland to Beijing service. The Auckland to Shanghai service will operate from 11 December 2011 until 18 March 2012 and the Auckland to Beijing service will commence 6 December 2011 and continue indefinitely.
Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler says the additional services will also help deliver record numbers of visitors from China to New Zealand.
China is New Zealand’s fourth largest tourism market and one of the fastest growing ones. 122,000 Chinese visited New Zealand in 2010, up by 20% on the previous year. Tourism from China is forecast to grow by an average rate of 8.4% per annum from now to 2016.