Chinese dominate as high-spending Asian leisure visitors

The Asian high-spender market has changed dramatically in recent years and is now dominated by China according to a new report released by Tourism Research Australia.

The study highlights that China’s share of total Asian high-spender leisure expenditure in Australia increased threefold between 2005 and 2013 and that Chinese high-spending leisure visitors had distinctive expenditure patterns.

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan said the report provides valuable insights into high-spending Asian leisure visitors.

“This latest research will help inform marketing initiatives to meet this important visitor segment’s needs and grow demand from Asia, a strategic priority for Australia’s Tourism 2020 strategy,” he said.

The ‘High-spending Asian leisure visitors’ report uses data from the International Visitor Survey between 2005 and 2013 to compare 10 Asian markets with five non-Asian markets to reveal unique attributes of Asian high-spenders.

The report comes off the back of Tourism Australia’s latest March 2015 Quarterly Market Update, which showed China is the number one market for leisure visitor expenditure (holiday and VFR) and the largest market for holiday visitor expenditure.

The latest International Visitor Survey results for the year ending March 2015 show Eastern markets account for 42 per cent of total leisure visitor expenditure.