SCORES of Chinese tourists could return to Queensland for their yearly getaway with the trial of a new 10-year visa, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.
Chinese travellers will be able to apply for a $1000, decade-long visa from this month under a federal plan to boost the numbers of tourists to Northern Australia.
The visa is expected to allow for three-month stays for tourism and business purposes.
Ms Palaszczuk said simplifying the system put Australia on the same footing as the US.
“If we can secure that longer-term visa, it is ease of access for the return Chinese visa and that’s what we need,” she said.
“I want their No.1 destination for their annual holidays to be Queensland.”
China is the state’s top tourist market, with 468,000 coming in 2015-16 to eclipse New Zealand.
“Queensland could be hosting 1.5 million Asian travellers a year by 2025 and I think that estimate is conservative,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
The visa trial was a key reform in the Federal Government’s White Paper on Developing Northern Australia.
Copyright © 2016 Gold Coast Bulletin
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