Chinese visitation is up 10-20% on last year’s New Year period and there is a dramatic increase in the number of high spending Free Independent Travellers (FIT).
As Chinese ready themselves for their overseas holidays to mark the Chinese New Year, Australia is ranking high as the 6th fastest growing destination for New Year celebrations according to international travel market analysts, ForwardKeys.
This data is backed up by local industry analysis undertaken by the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) which has sought feedback from some of its leading China focused members from across the country.
“Our China specialists are telling us Chinese visitation is up 10-20% on last year’s New Year period and there is a dramatic increase in the number of high spending Free Independent Travellers (FIT) which is great news for our industry,” ATEC Managing Director, Peter Shelley said.
“Our members are reporting greater dispersal, particularly to WA and Tasmania, along with a growing demand for more in-depth and individual experiences – things like visits to wineries, fruit picking and visits to regional areas.
“There is an increasing number of Chinese visitors who are preferring to travel in small groups, with family or in multi-family groups and the introduction of new, direct flights to Cairns is really paying off for tourism businesses in Far North Queensland.”
Mr Shelley said while Australia is definitely one of the prefered destinations for visitors during Chinese New Year, we face strong competition from other Asian short-haul destinations including Japan and Thailand.
“The relative affordability of competing Asian destinations is a factor in the travel decisions of many Chinese visitors and that is why we need to ensure other barriers, such as accommodation availability, internet access and in-language information, are proactively addressed by our industry.
“As we reach the peak departure date for Chinese travel, our members are preparing to provide tailored experiences for the wave of international travellers arriving to celebrate the Luna New Year, and in doing so, providing a great foundation for what is shaping up to be another record year for Chinese travel to Australia.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
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