WELLINGTON, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The first foundations have been laid for the 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism, with a new website launched and funding for a major exhibition at the national museum, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis said on Tuesday.

The website is largely aimed at tourism businesses and other organizations wishing to build stronger relationships with China, Davis said in a statement.

"With the new website, we have provided a platform for organizations to get involved with the 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism, whether it is by promoting events, or accessing resources and useful information on the China visitor market," Davis said.

The year of tourism is an opportunity for businesses throughout the country to focus on the Chinese market, which is New Zealand's second biggest visitor market, he said.

"Our focus is on building cultural understanding and pulling the industry together to attract more of those high-value visitors who travel outside of our busy seasons and who explore more of our regions," the minister said.

The New Zealand government is investing 500,000 NZ dollars (340,857 U.S. dollars) through the Major Events Development Fund in the national museum's Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality exhibition, which will run from Dec. 15, 2018 to April 22, 2019. This event will kick off the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism.