China will become New Zealand's third largest market in terms of inbound tourists after Britain and Australia by 2013, said Ed Sims, group general manager of Air New Zealand.

To meet growing demand, Air New Zealand would increase the number of its aircraft flying to the Chinese mainland to four by 2013, including two Boeing 777s and two 787s, said Sims.

Last month the airline company increased its Shanghai-Auckland service from three flights to five flights per week, increasing the transport capacity by 65 percent on the route.

Currently, for every eight Chinese tourists flying to New Zealand, there are only two New Zealanders traveling to China.