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How did Australia attract one million Chinese tourists?

They are officially the country's most valuable tourism market, with over one million annual Chinese visitors arriving in Australia last year.

They are officially the country’s most valuable tourism market, with over one million annual Chinese visitors arriving in Australia last year.

 

According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia managed to hit the big one million mark in less than 15 years, with Chinese arrivals skyrocketing from a mere 100,000 back in the year 2000 to what it is today.

That’s a pretty impressive growth. But how did Australia do it?

Was it the Sydney Harbour Bridge? The Great Barrier Reef? Or was it Melbourne’s cool culture?

Chinese travellers

According to Tourism Australia, it was actually our recent visa reforms that made the country so much more attractive to the market.

In a statement, the tourism body acknowledged that the country’s recent decision to open a new Australian Visa Application Centre in Chengdu, China made it easier for Chinese holidaymakers to secure their pass into the country.

Additionally, streamlining the application process made it simpler for them to fly on over.

Of course, there’s also the constant marketing such as featuring Australia in major Chinese TV shows and teaming up with their biggest online travel seller, which would have also attracted China’s rapidly emerging middle class.

Chinese tourists

“Tourism Australia’s marketing, distribution and partnership strategies are all now geared towards targeting this new breed of young, independent traveller with the desire and the financial means to explore our country.”

John O’Sullivan, Tourism Australia Managing Director

“That’s where we are focusing our resources and I’m delighted to say that is what is driving these impressive results.

“We’ve gone to significant lengths to research and improve our understanding of our target consumer – their travel preferences and behaviour and the type of tourism experiences they are most looking for.

“The good news is that the industry is really starting to embrace this incredible opportunity by developing experiences which better meet the needs of the many Chinese visitors now flocking to our country.”

According to the ABS, Chinese visitors spent around $7.7 billion in the country last year – up from $1.5 billion back in 2005.

The average annual growth from Chinese has been 21 percent since 2010 and the year-on-year spending grew 43 percent last year.

What else can Australia do to attract more Chinese visitors?