Queenstown, Otago -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/27/2018 --A big reason for the huge increase of Chinese tourists to New Zealand in 2018 for the Chinese New Year holidays is that more and more visitors from mainland China are choosing New Zealand as their main destination, as opposed to previous years where they would visit both Australia and New Zealand as part of a package tour.

The vast majority of these visitors converge on the South Island, usually around Queenstown and Milford Sound. Queenstown is especially popular with Chinese tourists who use it as a jumping off point to explore the rest of the South Island.

Although the tourist numbers to Queenstown have already peaked in February 10 of this year, operators around the resort town expect business to take off in the weekend of the Chinese New Year when the bulk of the tourists have arrived. Most Chinese visitors to New Zealand are on holiday packages that cover both Islands starting with the North Island and moving down to the South. Business owners in Queenstown expect things to pick up when these tourists start the second leg of their New Zealand adventure in the South Island.

Some 70,000 visitors from China are expected to hit New Zealand this year for the New Year festivities, much to the delight of hotel and tourist accommodation operators in Queenstown. February tends to be the busiest time of the season for visitor housing providers in the region and this year is no exception.

A growing number of tourists these days are looking for for alternative and non-traditional lodging options. Bed & Breakfasts as well as short rental holiday apartments are becoming increasingly popular with tech savvy guests who book online through a variety of peer-to-peer sharing platforms. The convenience and cost savings of finding holiday lodgings through these platforms are often staggering when compared hotels and motels – many of whom are trying their best to adapt to the new economic realities of the "sharing economy".

As for Queenstown's business owners, the Year of the Dog couldn't have had a better start. If you are looking for a affordable accommodationnoption in downtown Queenstown, then please visit www.absoloot.co.nz.