Destination marketing body Tataki Auckland Unlimited will spare no efforts to foster economic and tourism development between China and New Zealand, said a senior executive.

Annie Dundas, director destination at TAU, said: "Before the pandemic, 400,000 Chinese visitors went to New Zealand every year, and the number dropped to around 262,000 last year. There is huge room for development. Economic and tourism development between the two countries is gradually recovering. I hold confidence."

She said Shanghai has been a key node of fostering economic and tourism development between the two countries.

"The air service of Shanghai is good. We have to take advantage of that to further promote trade and tourism. We're seeing tourism from China bounce back into Auckland, and what's positive is that it's returning in a more sustainable way — smaller groups, more free independent travelers and stronger business event travel in the shoulder season."

Dundas added: "We're also seeing growth in the 'silver generation', who have more flexibility to travel at different times of the year than some other segments. Trends and interests keep evolving, so we're continuing to adapt our marketing and partnerships. And we'd love to welcome more visitors in the off-peak period. Auckland is a genuine year-round destination, with no extreme temperatures."

The executive said: "The relationship between China and New Zealand is mature, resilient and highly complementary. China is New Zealand's largest trading partner, a position it has held for 13 consecutive years, with two-way trade recently hitting a historic milestone of NZ$40 billion ($23.3 billion). This relationship accounts for more than 20 percent of our total goods and services exports."

She added that, "New Zealand's strength in high-quality primary production (dairy, meat, fruit) aligns perfectly with China's demand for safe, premium food products. Meanwhile, China supplies New Zealand with high-quality manufactured goods, technology and increasingly, investment in green technologies."

According to Dundas, looking ahead, the biggest opportunities lie in high-value sectors — such as premium tourism, sustainable experiences, and health and wellness. Auckland is also emerging as a hub for the screen and creative industries, creating new touch points with Chinese audiences through film, content and storytelling, which can further spur travel.

Jonathan Austin, New Zealand's ambassador to China, said that since the signing of the free trade agreement between the two countries in 2008, bilateral trade volume has continued to grow at an average annual rate of over 14 percent. The long-term stable economic and trade exchanges have laid a solid foundation for the relationship between the two countries.

Wang Peng, associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said: "China-New Zealand tourism and commerce are in a strategic transformation period from 'scale growth' to 'value cultivation'.

"This transformation is ... a structural upgrade of bilateral cooperation, reflecting the deep evolution from traditional resource complementarity to high-level service integration."

zhengyiran@chinadaily.com.cn