The Chinese Traveller Factsheet

The Chinese Traveller

A segmentation of the China market

China is Australia’s fastest growing inbound tourism market in terms of visitor numbers and expenditure. It is Australia’s highest yielding market, ahead of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States. The China inbound market to Australia is currently worth A$3.8 billion per year, or around 14% of total tourism exports (Year ended 2011). International tourism from China is a large and rapidly growing marketplace where traveller patterns are constantly changing. Competition for the Chinese traveller is also increasing with 111 countries/regions currently having Approved Destination Status (ADS) (November 2011), which permits Chinese tourists to undertake leisure travel in groups to that destination. Currently the purpose of stay for Chinese visitors in Queensland is predominantly holiday, and from this market holiday visitors are most likely to be on a group tour (IVS, December 2011)¹. For New South Wales and Victoria, a large proportion of their visitors from China are travelling for business or are visiting friends or relatives.

Chinese Travellers to Australia

Chinese travellers see Australia as an aspirational destination offering a combination of natural and laid back experiences with the comforts of a developed country, including modern infrastructure and a collection of unique, known attractions (Tourism Australia)². There is strong desire to visit Australia’s iconic attractions of the Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, koalas and kangaroos. Awareness of Australia beyond these famous icons is limited; however awareness is higher amongst Chinese travellers from the primary cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The natural environment is the key experience that Australia is known for in China. There is strong desire to experience a natural environment that is different to home; natural landscapes (beaches, islands, mountains, grasslands, country side) and natural wildlife...