WELLINGTON - The number of foreign visitors to New Zealand last month jumped by 1.7 percent from November last year, due, in part, to more direct flights from China, the New Zealand government tourism agency announced Wednesday.

Total visitor arrivals numbered 230,000 in November, the same month that China Southern Airlines began daily flights between Guangzhou and Auckland.

Australia maintained its place as New Zealand's biggest tourist market, with Australian visitor numbers rising 7.6 percent year on year, according to the figures released Wednesday by Statistics New Zealand.

Australia accounted for about 44 percent of all visitor arrivals in the year to the end of November, said Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler in a statement.

However, last month also saw "consistent growth out of Asian markets" with the visitor numbers from China up 3,685, Malaysia up 1,320 and Singapore up 863 up from last year.

"China Southern Airlines' commencement of daily flights into New Zealand from November 1 will have certainly supported this outcome, " said Bowler.

"The steady upward trend we continue to see out of Asia is a reminder that this market is where continued focus is required."

China Southern Airlines, which carried more than 70 million passengers last year, began direct flights to New Zealand in April, and soon announced plans to increase capacity due to the demand.