Chinese tourists alone spent $7.7bn in Australia

It is Chinese tourists all the way for Australia. Spending touched an all time high, as Chinese in Australia spent $7.7bn over the past year which is three times more than overall visitor spending.

Why would Australia and the rest of the world not wish to woo more Chinese tourists after the results in Australia which rose up to 43% in the 12 months till September compared to the previous year? What actually brought more Chinese tourists is the fall of the Australian dollar which made the country more affordable for the Chinese to take holidays in Australia. The currency is down by 15% against the US dollar compared to this time last year.

Chinese visitor expenditure has exceeded the tourist industry’s annual target of $7.4bn – set in 2010 – five years ahead of schedule. It is more than the combined $7.5bn spent by Britons, Americans and Canadians. Tourism Research Australia recorded that inbound spending rose by 13% to record $34.8bn.

Australia is trying to woo tourists to the out of capital cities for even distribution of dollars. Australia’s geographical location prevents it from being a high volume destination. The strategy for 2020 encourages international tourists to stay longer, look around other places in Australia and spend more while they are in the country. The focus is completely on yield.

This yield is being reflected after the Australia advertising campaign in December 2013, where visitors have spent more on wine almost $700m which has far exceeded the $500 mark set by the industry.