Tania Tapsell: Rotorua Mayor on the economic impact of the visa waiver trial for Chinese and Pacific visitors

Tourists are spending up large as a visa waiver trial yields results.  

Chinese and Pacific travellers have injected around $215 million into the economy over the last six months after visa changes eased access to New Zealand. 

These tourists can skip applying for a visitor visa if they already hold an Australian one, as part of a 12-month trial launched in November. 

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell told Mike Hosking it's bringing huge benefits and should be made permanent. 

She says Chinese tourists spend around $6,000 each on average when they visit. 

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