Market Overview
Following a long period of declining visitor arrivals, visitor
numbers improved dramatically in 2010. Much of the
recovery was driven by the waiver of visas for holiday
visitors to New Zealand (from November 2009).
Monthly arrivals from Taiwan showed year on year growth
throughout 2010. However, the lack of direct flights and shortage
of airline seats between Taiwan and New Zealand is limiting
continued growth out of this market.
January, February and July are peak travel months from Taiwan,
with May and June being the quietest. Taiwanese visitors average
expenditure per visit is NZD3,374.
Most Taiwanese travel to New Zealand as a mono-destination and
over half travel to regions beyond the main tourism centres. About
half (49 per cent) are repeat visitors.
Since October 2008, Tourism New Zealand's work in Taiwan has
been managed from its Shanghai office with a focus on providing
trade marketing support. Tourism New Zealand staff visit
Taiwan to ensure travel sellers have support at key trade
events.
Taiwan's export-dependent economy recovered strongly in
2010 after exiting what some analysts described as its
"deepest recession on record" in 2009.