Year of Tourism to boost links with New Zealand

The 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism officially kicked off with encouraging messages from government leaders of both sides.

The yearlong celebration's launch, held at Museum of New Zealand, the national museum in Wellington, was witnessed on Saturday by a Chinese government delegation led by Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang, who delivered a welcoming message by Premier Li Keqiang.

"The China-New Zealand Year of Tourism presents an opportunity for our two countries to enhance tourism cooperation through people-to-people contact," Li said in the message. The initiative was first announced during Li's official visit to New Zealand in March 2017.