Australia woos more Chinese travelers

Tourism Australia recently launched its newest campaign, Come and Say G'day, inviting more Chinese to plan and book an Australian holiday, amid a robust recovery in outbound Chinese travelers to Australia this year.

The campaign was officially launched on June 29 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, where the animated character, Ruby, the souvenir kangaroo, is shown jumping on a large 3D outdoor screen in the central business area of the city.

The multichannel campaign includes G'day, a short film, new broadcast advertisements, print and outdoor advertising placements, as well as social, digital and content marketing initiatives in China.

Australia has welcomed over 110,000 Chinese tourists from January to April, since outbound travel from China resumed at the beginning of the year, according to recent international visitor arrivals data.

Chinese tourists to Australia in April were at 38 percent of the level in 2019 and the ratio will, hopefully, reach 80 percent by the third quarter this year, said Phillipa Harrison, managing director of Tourism Australia, a government agency.

The new campaign has been tailor-made for Chinese travelers, added Andrew Hogg, executive general manager of eastern markets and aviation, Tourism Australia.

"China has always played a crucial role in Australian tourism, holding the top spot in terms of visitation, and spending in 2019," said Hogg. "We are excited to continue building on our strong relationship with Chinese travelers."

In 2019, China was Australia's leading visitor market with 1.4 million visitors from the country, contributing AU$12.4 billion ($8.27 billion) in visitor spending.

The rebound of tourism to Australia from China this year has been robust. "We are extremely pleased and excited about this. In February, we welcomed over 40,000 travelers from China, a significant increase from less than 15,000 in January. This demonstrates that Australia remains a highly sought-after destination for Chinese travelers," Harrison said.

Ctrip, the largest travel service provider in China, ranks Australia as a top destination for Chinese travelers, who on average spent 14 nights holidaying in Australia with an average of three stopovers around the country.

On average, Chinese travelers to Australia spend AU$9,300 per trip and AU$215 per night.

High-value travelers from China are most attracted to its nature and wildlife, followed by safety and security and good food and wine, Tourism Australia said.

The recovery has also been bolstered by the growth in aviation capacity from China to Australia.

According to the organization, aviation capacity between the two countries reached 54 percent compared to 2019, by the end of June. The growth is expected to continue throughout the year, leading to increased passenger volume from China to Australia, said the director.

Harrison said a strong aviation environment has been key to the growth of the China market for Australian tourism.