New Zealand braces for economic hit as Chinese tourists banned

WELLINGTON: New Zealand is bracing for the coronavirus to hit its tourism industry and dent economic growth.

The isolated South Pacific nation may suffer a bigger economic impact than others because tourism is its largest export earner and China, the source of the outbreak, accounts for about 10% of foreign visitors. It is also vulnerable to slowdowns in major trading partners in Asia. The government on Monday followed other countries in imposing a ban on travelers from China, which is initially set to remain in place for two weeks.