Chinese visitors arriving at Christchurch Airport jumped 60 percent in the six months to March compared with the same six months last year.
That compares with growth of 26 percent of visitors from China arriving at the Queenstown airport in the same period and falls of 1 percent each of such visitors through the Auckland and Wellington airports.
Spending by Chinese visitors in the South Island was up an even greater 74 percent.
Christchurch Airport's aeronautical business development general manager, Matthew Findlay said he believed it was mainly due to the overwhelming appeal that the South Island had not just for Chinese visitors, but for almost all visiting nationalities.
He said a lot of tourists are finding once they come to the South Island they can have truly unique experiences and that means they stay longer and spend more.