Partnering with brand ambassador Li Xian—one of China’s most recognisable film stars—has delivered strong impact.

The partnership has generated more than 500 million impressions and driven 127% growth in searches for New Zealand travel guides on Rednote, a key social platform shaping travel decision‑making for Chinese consumers.

This activity, alongside targeted campaigns with leading travel platforms such as Fliggy and Ctrip, and Lunar New Year travel in February, is delivering results.

The latest arrivals data shows arrivals from China in January–February 2026 were up 56% compared with the same period last year.

Overall recovery of the China market to 71% of 2019 arrival levels in the year to February 2026 signals growing interest in destination New Zealand.

Tourism New Zealand is focused on growing visitor arrivals year-round and ensure that New Zealand is top of mind for potential visitors. We will undertake campaigns that directly stimulate arrivals including joint ventures with travel trade and social platforms.

“Overall outbound travel from China is resilient, and we’re seeing that travel is still a priority for Chinese consumers who are looking for authentic experiences, content-led inspiration and destinations they perceive as safe,” says Tourism New Zealand general manager international Angela Blair.

“Tourism New Zealand has been working with Xiaohongshu/Rednote to test ways of reaching Chinese audiences with engaging tourism content to inspire travel. It’s an innovative platform to work with in a market that’s constantly evolving, and we’ll continue this work to meet our audience where they are, encourage bookings and grow arrivals from China,” added Blair.

In addition to this, our campaign activity featuring Li Xian on OTA partners Fliggy and Ctrip helped build destination preference ahead of the core commerce moment (Double 11), which supports TNZ’s focus on conversion and visitor arrivals to ensure that visitor arrivals reach 3.9 million by the end of 2026.

Upcoming activity in China includes a family-focused campaign showcasing kid-friendly itineraries and conversion offers through Xiaohongshu.