Chinese tourists contribute to growth in New Zealand accommodation sector

WELLINGTON - A surge in Chinese travelers helped maintain a boom in New Zealand's accommodation sector in November last year, according to figures from the government statistics agency Tuesday.

Guest nights across the country for November were up 4.6 percent from a year earlier, making the 20th straight month of growth, said Statistics New Zealand.

"Guest nights continued to rise this month, with the South Island leading the way when compared with November 2014," business indicators manager Clara Eatherley said in a statement.

Domestic guest nights were up 5.2 percent, and international guest nights were up 3.8 percent.

For the year ended November 2015, national guest nights were up 4.8 percent from the November 2014 year.

Chinese tourists drove a record rise in the number of overseas visitors to New Zealand in November, Statistics New Zealand said last month.

Visitor arrivals were up 11 percent year on year to 300,500 in November, with the biggest increase from China - up 35 percent to 36,700.

Visitors from China were the highest-ever for a November month, twice as high as November 2013.

In the year ending November, visitor arrivals reached a record 3.09 million, up 9 percent year on year, with Australia contributing 1.32 million, China 344,900, and the United States 240,000.