China's tourism industry ushered in the hottest summer during the first summer long holiday after the optimization and adjustment of epidemic prevention and control policies, and brought the fire of outbound tourism together. Recently, Tourism Australia said that thanks to the rapid recovery of flight capacity between China and Australia and the convenience of applying for electronic visas, Australia's popularity in long-term travel has not decreased. According to the "Outbound Tourism Big Data Report for the First Half of 2023" released by the China Tourism Research Institute, Australia ranks second in the list of long-term destinations for Chinese tourists' outbound tours. Visa's Global Travel Intentions Survey 2023 also shows that Australia is one of the most desirable outbound destinations for Chinese consumers. As a newly selected destination country for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to resume the third batch of outbound group tours, Australia looks forward to welcoming more Chinese tourists during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival National Day holiday.
At the end of June this year, as a prelude to the summer tourism season, the Australian Tourism Bureau released a new brand campaign "Come to Australia, say hello" to the Chinese market to promote Australian tourism. This was a deliberate decision – the outbound travel market had been recovering for half a year, and all relevant parties in the tourism industry were working closely together to prepare for the summer tourist hordes. The latest data on the summer cultural tourism market also confirms the importance and accuracy of this decision.
According to Visa's latest Global Travel Intentions Survey, Australia is the most desired outbound destination for Chinese consumers.
The number of Chinese tourists recovered to 50%.
It is the largest source of international passengers at Sydney Airport
According to the latest data from the Australian government, Australia received more than 180,000 Chinese tourists in the first half of this year (January to June 2023). A total of 37,000 Chinese tourists arrived in June alone, and the number of tourists has recovered to nearly 50% (46.27%) of the same period before the epidemic.
According to the latest data from Sydney Airport, Australia's main air traffic hub, Chinese tourists became the largest source of international visitors at Sydney Airport in July, with the number of tourists reaching 76% of the same period in 2019. Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists had been the airport's most popular tourists, and for the first time since 2019, Chinese tourists returned to the top spot.
In early August, the third batch of outbound group tours was released, and Australia, which is popular with Chinese tourists, was added to the list, which undoubtedly injected another shot of strength into the tourism industry to Australia. Tourism Australia Director and Chief Executive Officer Phillipa Harrison said: "As an important international market for Australia's tourism industry, the return of Chinese tourists is crucial. After six months of orderly recovery of China's tourism industry to Australia, we have obtained a lot of gratifying data. Therefore, the resumption of Chinese group tours to Australia is a positive signal for the Australian tourism industry, and we believe that this will further promote tourism exchanges and cooperation between China and Australia. Welcome Chinese tourists to Australia, enjoy the magnificent natural scenery, experience the vibrant city style, taste Australian food and wine, and feel the warm and hospitable Australian greeting. ”
Australia's iconic Sydney Opera House has restarted Chinese guided tour
Aviation resumption and visa facilitation
Quickly depart Australia in a group
Once the three batches of lists were announced, the number of Australian tourism inquiries on the travel platform surged, which attracted enthusiastic attention from Chinese tourists. Major travel agencies have successively launched Australian tourism products, and many group tour quotas have quickly filled up. The tour departed from Guangzhou, the home base of China Southern Airlines, to some of Australia's classic destinations, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
The rapid formation of the tour was made possible thanks to the strong recovery of international routes between China and Australia, as well as the convenient application process for the Australian eVisa.
By the end of June, China-Australia air capacity had recovered to 54%. The resumption of air capacity has given the price of airfares to Australia a great advantage. At present, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and other major airlines have accelerated the resumption of flights between China and Australia. The origins include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xiamen, Qingdao and other major cities. In November, China Southern will also resume the route between Guangzhou and Brisbane, adding three and two flights a day between Guangzhou and Sydney and Melbourne. China Eastern Airlines will soon resume more direct flights to Australia.
In terms of visas, there is no need to schedule a queue for an interview to apply for the Australian eVisa, just submit the required information online. Visitors can fill in information online and upload relevant materials without having to mail or submit a passport. Usually, the visa result will be reviewed and communicated to the applicant within 5 to 10 working days. This quick and convenient process greatly facilitates Chinese tourists.
Women's World Cup ignites Australia's tourism fever
From 20 July to 20 August, the high-profile FIFA Women's World Cup ™ 2023 also became an important driver of Australia's tourism recovery and set a number of records.
The tournament attracted more than 55,000 international fans and sold more than 1.7 million tickets, setting a new record for the previous edition. More than 1.2 million fans attended the scene to witness 35 matches. While cheering on the team, they travelled all over Australia to enjoy the beautiful scenery and taste Australia's gourmet food.
Among them, the opening match of the Chinese women's national football team attracted more than 14.58 million viewers, setting a new high in the history of the Chinese Women's World Cup.
Strengthen ground access Chinese training
It is expected that the National Day will usher in another peak
Andrew Hogg, Tourism Australia's Executive Managing Director of Eastern Hemisphere Markets, said: "Tourism Australia has been actively engaging with Chinese visitors to provide inspiration for travelling to Australia. For Chinese tourists, more and more Australian tourism workers have stepped up Chinese training and actively developed special itineraries and customized itineraries for the Chinese market. Tourism Australia is also continuously recommending more niche and in-depth travel experiences to the Chinese market, including adventure tourism, eco-tourism, etc., to further extend the footsteps of Chinese tourists. ”
Kangaroo Ruby invites Chinese tourists to "come to Australia, say hello"
With the continuous implementation of relevant policies and the continuous increase in the number of flights and resumption of international routes, Tourism Australia predicts that more Chinese tourists will travel to Australia in the second half of the year. The number of Chinese tourists visiting Australia during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day Golden Day is expected to continue to innovate, ushering in the peak of Chinese tourist arrivals, injecting strong momentum into the recovery of the tourism industry. As a country with a large Chinese community, this peak is likely to continue until the Lunar New Year holiday in 2024, when more Chinese tourists will come to Australia to reunite with family and friends, spend the reunion year in the southern hemisphere, and enjoy Australia's beautiful spring and summer seasons.
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