The number of visitors from China last month was up 45 percent year-on-year, and drove a 10- percent rise in total visitors to New Zealand, the government statistics agency said Monday.
Total visitor arrivals numbered 176,700 in May, with visitor arrivals from China up by 7,700, according to Statistics New Zealand.
"Most of this increase was from Chinese holidaymakers," population statistics manager Vina Cullum said in a statement.
Total visitor arrivals in the year ending May were up 7 percent year-on-year to a record annual total of 2.98 million, with the biggest increase in arrivals from China.
Annual visitor arrivals from China were 309,800, with China contributing the biggest increase in visitor arrivals, up 70,200 from the May 2014 year.
China was New Zealand's second biggest source country for visitors, following Australia.
The government's Tourism New Zealand agency said the milestone of an annual visitor total of 3 million was approaching.
"China continues to deliver outstanding growth, with total arrivals for the year ending May up 29.3 percent and holiday arrivals up 31.1 percent," chief executive Kevin Bowler said in a statement.
