Chinese tourists will not be flooding into New Zealand despite a surge in middle class spending and travel abroad, China's tourism official says during a visiting tour in New Zealand.

Chairman Shao Qiwei, head of the China National Tourism Administration, the Chinese equivalent of New Zealand's Minister of Tourism, also reiterated his country's commitment to discouraging the low-budget package holidays that have left many Chinese visitors dissatisfied with their visit.

Shao and nine regional tourism representatives, who are responsible for China's tourism, have spent three days in New Zealand after a nine-day Australian trip.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes met the group this week and said he was more relaxed about concerns that the Chinese would eventually overtake New Zealand tourism.

"It's important from Queenstown's point of view and it's critical from New Zealand's point of view. You need to have a balanced visitor mix because what that is doing is spreading risk. We saw the Asian financial crisis, in 97/98 and that just stopped visitor arrivals out of South-east (Asia)," he said.

But with 38 million Chinese travelling abroad last year, less than 100,000 came to New Zealand.

"Although this delegation were extremely enthusiastic about New Zealand as a destination they were also pragmatic and said they believed the New Zealand tourism industry is going to have to work very hard to achieve sustainable growth out of China.

"Just because New Zealand has opened up it's not a matter that half a million Chinese will come here."

But with growth in Chinese visitor numbers to New Zealand of 15 per cent in the last year, the market is considered important and it was important to establish a good reputation.

Shao acknowledged concerns that some Chinese tour operators have been offering cheap package tours leaving the Chinese visitors dissatisfied, Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor said.

"He certainly wants to promote, as we do, higher value tourism to people who are prepared to pay and will expect the best when they come," Mr O'Connor added.

(CRIENGLISH.com via stuff.co.nz August 14, 2006)