Visa-free entry could lift Chinese visitor numbers, summit told

Summary

New Zealand could significantly boost Chinese visitor numbers by granting visa-free entry to specific segments of the Chinese travel market, Chinese tourism expert George Cao, chief executive of Dragon Trail International, told the 2026 Tourism Summit in Christchurch. Citing surges in Chinese visitors to Kazakhstan and Georgia after those countries waived visas for Chinese travellers, and to Saudi Arabia after it simplified visa processes, Cao said New Zealand's pilot policy allowing eligible Chinese passport holders to enter visa-free from Australia was already delivering results. He suggested a phased approach to visa-free entry for groups such as short-stay travellers transiting through New Zealand to South America, or those holding long-term multiple-entry US visas.

Cao said China's outbound travel market would fully recover by the end of this year, but the destination landscape had been reshuffled, with geopolitics, safety perceptions, visa-free policies and irreplaceable experiences now the main drivers. Chinese travellers were shifting from sightseeing and shopping to niche experiences and interest-based travel, social media was hugely influential, and small customised travel agencies were growing rapidly. Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy told the same summit that the structure of Chinese visitors had changed more than any other market since the pandemic, with large tour groups yet to return and longer-staying, higher-spending visitors taking their place.

Holiday arrivals rose 47 percent over the past year, with spending also up. Cao advised operators to shift from packaged tour suppliers to experience curators, marketing online to Chinese agents and consumers, while de Monchy stressed the need to keep packaging New Zealand products to stay competitive. The summit drew about 300 industry leaders.

Commentary

China's outbound travel market is undergoing a structural shift from traditional sightseeing and shopping to niche experiences and interest-based travel, opening new opportunities for New Zealand tourism. Dragon Trail International chief executive George Cao told the 2026 Tourism Summit that Chinese travellers' destination choices are driven by geopolitics, safety perceptions and visa convenience, and that New Zealand ranks well on safety, giving it an edge. He recommended phased visa-free entry for specific groups, such as travellers transiting through New Zealand to South America or those holding long-term US visas, to further stimulate growth.

Tourism New Zealand data show Chinese holiday arrivals rose 47 percent over the past year, with visitors staying longer and spending more; large tour groups have not returned, replaced by high-value independent travellers. For New Zealand small and medium business owners, this means shifting from packaged tour suppliers to experience curators, designing products around Chinese travellers' interests and using social media for targeted marketing. At the same time, the rise of small customised travel agencies requires local operators to strengthen online distribution capabilities and build partnerships with more Chinese agents.

Any easing of visa policy could accelerate this trend, but businesses should prepare early by developing themed experiences such as hiking, food and photography to capture high-spending customers. A full recovery of the Chinese market will intensify destination competition, and New Zealand needs to keep packaging its unique selling points to avoid a price war.

Keywords: Chinese visitors, visa-free policy, New Zealand tourism, Dragon Trail International, George Cao, tourism summit, China outbound travel, Tourism New Zealand, customised experiences, holiday arrival growth

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Source: Waikatotimes