Australia-China tourism is riding high on post-pandemic growth, with surging traveler numbers giving a strong fillip to the pillar sector.

Phillipa Harrison, managing director of Tourism Australia, the government agency responsible for attracting international visitors to the country for leisure and business events, told China Daily recently that the Chinese market is a major bright spot for the industry.

"We are pleased to see Chinese travelers returning to Australia in growing numbers. Over the past 12 months we have welcomed more than 935,000 Chinese travelers to Australia, and we look forward to welcoming many more this year," she said, adding that there was a "significant influx of travelers from China to Australia" during the Chinese New Year holiday earlier this year.

"The major drawcards for Chinese travelers have always been Australia's wide-open spaces, our unique wildlife and the chance to see the best beaches in the world, and that remains the case today," she said.

"We are also seeing a trend that many Chinese travelers would love to have authentic local experience, to interact with the friendly locals, which Australia is very strong at."

Paris Miller, national coordinator at the Australian Tourism Export Council, an industry body representing Australia's tourism export sector, told China Daily that "the China market is very important to be established and continued", with firm Australia-China ties helping to spur exchanges, and many opportunities on both sides.

These include workshops and trade missions "to establish main partnerships and gain the confidence and resilience for the China market for products and services", Miller said.

Australia's international tourism continues to recover following the global disruption of the pandemic, with annual international visitor spending forecast to exceed pre-pandemic levels, before increasing to A$50.7 billion ($32.6 billion) by 2028, said Tourism Research Australia, part of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission.

International visitation to Australia totaled 7.6 million trips last year, Tourism Research Australia said.

Chinese travelers in the same period, with 829,000 trips, or 62 percent of December 2019 levels, made up Australia's second-highest international visitor market after New Zealand travelers' 1.3 million trips.

Harrison of Tourism Australia said the challenge of aviation capacity experienced by the sector in recent years on both sides had taken time to rebuild, but there is now "excellent capacity between China and Australia".

There are now 171 flights a week between 14 Chinese cities and Australia, she said, with Chinese airline partners who "graciously add even greater capacity" during peak times such as the Chinese New Year holiday.

"Cooperation between our sectors is important, which is why we work closely with our partners in China," she said. That includes strong and long-lasting partnerships with Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and other airlines, Harrison said.

Visa policy

Last year China extended its visa-free policy for Australian passport holders' stay from 15 days to 30 days, which has further fueled demand.

Liu Dong, director of the China National Tourist Office in Sydney, told China Daily that the visa-related moves have a significant effect on promoting inbound tourism for China from Australia.

"The number of people traveling to China for business and visiting relatives has also increased significantly," he said.

Australian travelers' familiarity with China's tourism resources, products and routes can be raised to build on the improved air links and other services, he said.

"We must establish close ties with local travel agents and encourage them to develop products suitable for Australians to travel. We must also implement incentives for travel agents to stimulate their motivation to travel to China."

Personalized, experiential and immersive tourism is gradually becoming the mainstream with a travel mode that pays more attention to in-depth experiences that resonate closely with tourists, Liu said.

Amid those priorities, he said, more is being done to promote China's ice and snow tourism offerings, with Australian travel agents visiting Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces in Northeast China and their Chinese counterparts taking part in related industry events, he said.

Australian travel agents such as Yuri Cherniavsky are already tapping the latest industry trends and opportunities.

Cherniavsky, 66, runs a local travel agency and takes small groups of friends and tourists to China. His next trip will be to Harbin, Heilongjiang province, with a group of eight people.

Dion Woo, vice-president of the Asian Australian Business Council, a nonprofit group promoting business community networks, said at a recent industry event for travel to Sanya, Hainan province, that its attractions such as beaches, golf courses, local cuisine and increasingly convenient air links are poised to become a big draw for Australians.

"For me, Sanya is more than just a beautiful destination," Woo said. "It's a place of connection … to a culture that is both different and familiar at the same time."

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