Chinese capital Beijing encourages tourists to visit through more convenient travel regulations including tax-refund and a 72-hours transit without visa (TWOV) policy, Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development said in Wellington on Friday.
Yu Debin, deputy director of the city's tourism authority, said that Beijing welcomes fewer tourists every year than its outbound travelers, pushing the city to adopt more policies to make trip to the ancient Chinese capital easier and attractive.
The commission held a conference in Wellington with local managers from tourism industry in the Te Papa, national museum of New Zealand. Yu said in the conference that travelling in Beijing is totally changed from a traditional historical and cultural tourism to modern styles, such as holiday tourism and conference tourism.
In order to let tourists enjoy both the heritage and fashion elements of Beijing, the municipal tourism is applying 144-hours TWOV policy, as Yu said during the conference.
Tourism became a critical link between New Zealand and China. Chargé d'affaires of Chinese Embassy to New Zealand Qu Guangzhou pointed out in the conference that more than 350,000 Chinese tourists came to New Zealand in 2015, which is highest annual amount in record, and three flight linking major cities of the two countries opened in the same year.
As Wellington is going to celebrate its tenth anniversary of sister city relationship with Beijing this year, David Perks, CEO of Wellington regional tourism organization Positive Wellington, said that the kiwi capital are looking forward to a direct flight to Beijing in the future.
Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development also held promotion activities in Auckland, the biggest city in Aotearoa, with picture exhibition and VR experience equipment to draw attention from kiwi holiday-makers.
