New Zealanders are showing an increasing interest in visiting China. Photo: Wallpaper World
China's visa-free travel extension is expected to boost New Zealand's interest in visiting the Asian nation, tourism agencies say.
A 15-day visa-free policy to New Zealand was introduced in late June and implemented in July after Chinese premier Li Qiang's visit earlier in the year.
On Friday, China extended the visa-free timeframe to 30 days "on a trial basis", effective from 30 November to the end of 2025.
The move was welcomed by the tourism industry and other businesses.
Jennifer Staples, air and product manager of Flight Centre Travel Group, said her business had received seen a significant increase in the number of queries relating to China in recent months.
"So far in 2024, we have seen a 43 percent increase in China bookings compared to 2023," Staples said. "With China now becoming more accessible and easier for Kiwis to travel to, we expect this trend to continue into 2025."
Staples said New Zealand passport holders could only transit through certain ports in China for up to 144 hours without a visa prior to the visa-free policy, describing the recent extension as "great news".
"New Zealand tourists can now stay longer in China, which means [they] can cover more ground," Staples said. "[It] opens the options of different areas that can be explored in one trip."
Lisa Li, managing director of China Travel Service Group, said the 15-day visa-free policy was already a "game changer", with the extension providing more convenience to New Zealand travellers.
"China is big," Li said. "As a travel destination, it's very easy to stay more than two weeks ... and now it's 30 days, which is sufficient for most travellers, as well as for people visiting family and friends."
Li said they had also received an increase in the number of customers interested in visiting China since the visa-free policy was introduced.
Apart from not having to worry about visa issues, she said people who had returned from a trip to China were generally impressed by the high-speed rail services and hotels options they experienced.
"We had a lot of positive feedback about this policy, and some people are planning to go back next year again," Li said.
Simon Bridges, chief executive of Auckland Business Chamber, welcomed the visa-free extension.
"I think this is fantastic. I think they're really rolling out the red carpet for New Zealand businesspeople and tourists to come to China," he said.
"Having a longer visa makes things a bit cheaper, more convenient. It just gives more options on the ground. As someone who right now actually is on business in China, it's a very easy, seamless experience now to get through the airports and to get around mainland China."
John McKinnon, chair of the New Zealand China Council, said the policy would help with people's decision-making when it came to visiting China.
"I think that it's just generally a sign that China is keen to engage with the rest of the world, and I think that's a very important and significant aspect of this as one part of the overall picture of what's happening in China," McKinnon said.
Julie White, chief executive of the Travel Agents' Association of New Zealand, said travellers shouldn't cut any corners in preparing for a trip to China.
"Travellers should ensure they have a clear itinerary, appropriate travel insurance and meet all other entry requirements, such as presenting valid passports with sufficient validity beyond their stay."
China commenced visa-free entry trials in December 2023, expanding the programme several times to include 38 countries, including New Zealand, according to China's Xinhua News Agency.
Figures compiled by New Zealand Customs showed that 31,152 New Zealand passport holders travelled directly to China between 1 July and 24 November, a sharp jump from the 20,458 who travelled over the same period a year earlier.
Sam Foley, manager of immigration (international and humanitarian) policy at the Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment, said New Zealand was not currently considering any adjustments to its immigration settings for China.
