Chinese giants commit to support New Zealand tourism
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E-mail Xinhua, April 24, 2017
Two Chinese companies Friday signalled theirsupport for the New Zealand tourism sector with agreements made through ChristchurchAirport.
China Southern Airlines has joined the Christchurch-based University of Canterbury (UC)in a new partnership which will benefit one of the South Island's most popular scenicattractions.
The airline signed an agreement to become as an official partner of the iconic University ofCanterbury Mount John Observatory, New Zealand's pre-eminent optical researchobservatory, which sits at the heart of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark SkyReserve.
The partnership also supported tourism in Tekapo, an alpine lakeside resort, with 10percent of the agreement's funding provided to the Mackenzie District Council for tourisminfrastructure in Tekapo.
"China Southern Airlines is showing a real commitment in this partnership to enhance thevisitor experience at Tekapo," Mackenzie District Council Mayor Graham Smith said in astatement.
UC vice-chancellor Rod Carr said he hoped the partnership with China Southern Airlines isa sign of strong ties between the two countries.
"China is the largest and fastest growing international market for student recruitment atUC, so strengthening relationships with key organizations there will support that growthand provide students with employment opportunities," Carr said in the statement.
"This sponsorship is a direct show of support for an area Chinese visitors love to visit."Christchurch Airport chief executive Malcolm Johns said in a statement.
China Southern Airlines Australasian managing director Louis Lu said it was a meaningfulpartnership that benefited both tourism and science.
"We all share an interest in discovering more about the amazing space that is the sky.China Southern explores it from an aviation perspective, the team at UC and theobservatory research its secrets and showcase the amazing stargazing opportunities itoffers," Lu said in the statement.
The observatory enables UC staff and students to carry out cutting-edge astronomicalresearch in a number of different areas, including the search for extra-solar planets, thetracking of near-earth objects and the study of pulsating, variable and exploding stars.
Christchurch Airport also announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding withAlibaba, the world's largest retail commerce company, to connect small and regional NewZealand businesses with Chinese visitors.
Chinese travellers would be able to use the Alibaba Group apps to plan their visit, whilethey toured New Zealand, including shopping and financial transactions, and after theyreturned to China.
Johns said the strategic partnership was pivotal to unlocking for New Zealand's regions thepower of Alibaba's international ambition to have 2 billion consumers in micro tradingrelationships with tens of millions of businesses around the world by 2026.
"This agreement has the potential to super-charge regional development across NewZealand, by unlocking micro exporting using tourism as the basis for the first meetingbetween the parties," he said.
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