April 01, 2019
China tourism shift creating opportunities for Māori
Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis says there are huge opportunities for Māori in the Chinese New Zealand year of tourism.
The year was lauched at Te Papa on Saturday after a three month delay.
That delay, along with an Air New Zealand flight being sent back from Shanghai and problems with some export shipments at the China border, was interpreted as signs of a cooling of relations between China and New Zealand.
But Mr Davis says that was entirely coincidental, and the presence of the Chinese tourism minister at the launch shows there is mutual commitment to the kaupapa.
He says Chinese visitors are staying longer, spending more, and are increasingly becoming free and independent travellers looking for unique cultural experiences.
"I keep emphasising the importance of us as Māori in the whole scheme of things, there are so many opportunities, because Māori are the unique difference. You can go to other countries to see mountains and rivers and bush and all that sort of stuff but you can only come to New Zealand to see a Māori experience and that's one of the biggest drivers of tourism it creates massive opportunities for Māori," Mr Davis says.
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