Air New Zealand, Air China, and Tourism New Zealand announce strategic investment to boost Chinese travel demand to Aotearoa

The tripartite partnership will see nearly half a million NZD invested from the three organisations going toward stimulating inbound tourism from China, in addition to Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand's existing investments in the market.

Over the next 12 months, Air New Zealand will invest more than $700,000 in marketing through strategic partnerships – an addition to the airline's significant and ongoing marketing commitment in China.

The new funding will be used to support a marketing campaign to drive greater awareness of New Zealand as a preferred destination for Chinese travellers. It is also an opportunity to highlight the longstanding alliance between Air New Zealand and Air China launched in 2015, which has provided greater connectivity, codeshare convenience, and a seamless customer experience for travellers between China and New Zealand.

China is New Zealand's third largest source of international visitors, comprising around 8% of total visitor arrivals. In the year to March 2025, 248,000 Chinese travellers visited New Zealand, up 18 per cent on the prior year.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said the airline's service between Shanghai and Auckland are going from strength to strength.

"China is an incredibly important market for us, and we're proud of the role our Shanghai service has played in connecting people, cargo, and cultures over the past decade. This joint investment is an opportunity to further stimulate travel demand to encourage growth in inbound tourism from China to New Zealand.

"We're looking forward to having our brand-new cabins on our 787 aircraft flying to Shanghai on occasion, offering Chinese customers the opportunity to be among the first to experience our enhanced onboard experience. From October, we'll see a 33% increase in premium seats on the Shanghai–Auckland route, giving customers even more opportunity to travel with additional space and comfort to New Zealand."

Mr. Ma Chongxian, the Chairman of CNAH, expressed confidence in the recovery of China-New Zealand market and the alliance partnership between Air China and Air New Zealand.

"New Zealand market has always been the key focus in our Asia-Pacific network. We have deeply engaged in Beijing-Auckland service since 2015. As our strategic alliance with Air New Zealand reinforces the mutual trust and support, our network, products and services have been optimized along the way. The partnership has played a positive role in jointly promoting economic and trade growth and fostering cross-cultural communication between China and New Zealand.

"Embracing the second decade of China-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the tenth anniversary of the alliance partnership between Air China and Air New Zealand, we would like to join Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand in further facilitating market recovery and expanding collaborations to deepen practical cooperation and improve customer experience."

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy said there is an audience of around 60 million people in China "actively considering" a holiday to New Zealand. "We're looking forward to working with Air New Zealand and Air China to get them booking trips to come and enjoy destination New Zealand sooner rather than later."

He said Chinese visitors were drawn to New Zealand's culture, friendliness, and natural scenery including mountains and lakes, hiking and national parks. "China's travel behaviour evolves rapidly. For example, we are seeing growth in smaller visitor groups that are staying for longer and getting out to enjoy more experiences and visit more regions."

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said: "This partnership between Air New Zealand, Air China, and Tourism New Zealand is another step toward turbocharging New Zealand's tourism recovery and growth. As we work to rebuild our visitor economy, stimulating demand from key markets like China, which was our largest inbound tourism market pre-Covid, is essential to creating jobs, supporting businesses, and strengthening communities across the country. This strategic investment will not only boost awareness of Aotearoa as a unique and welcoming destination but also deepen the connections between our peoples and cultures. We are committed to backing initiatives that bring more visitors here, ensuring tourism continues to be a driver of prosperity for all New Zealanders."

This initiative reaffirms the strong commitment from both airlines and New Zealand's tourism sector to support economic recovery and reestablish vital people-to-people ties between the two nations.