Queensland Tourism: China’s Extraordinary Cash Splash

CASHED-up Chinese tourists will eclipse Kiwis as the most frequent visitors to Australia – and in the past year splurged a record $10 billion.

The extraordinary cash splash shovelling funds into local tourism will be revealed in today’s International Visitor Survey, which shows Queensland is the favoured destination of holidaying Chinese.

The survey will be ­trumpeted today by Tourism Minister Steve Ciobo, who has pushed to get more ­direct flights to Queensland from China.

The news also cements the Government’s plan to help ­diversify Queensland’s sluggish economy.

Chinese tourists in Australia spent more than $10 billion – or almost $28 million a day – in the year ending in September. In the Sunshine State, Chinese visitors increased their spend by 2 per cent, to $1.1 billion.

“Queensland is resource rich. We’ve been blessed with a beautiful state. From the sun, sand and surf along our Coast to the rugged outback and the tropical rainforests in between, we’ve got a lot to attract to tourists from around the world,” Mr Ciobo told The Courier-Mail yesterday.

“The coastal and aquatic lifestyle that Queensland offers, highlighted by our pristine beaches, inviting ocean and iconic reef with a backdrop of pristine rainforest hinterlands is a major drawcard for international tourists.

“This phenomenal growth is evidence that the Turnbull Government’s investment in China – through targeted marketing, aviation liberalisation and visa reform – is paying dividends. Chinese are travelling more than ever so we need to make sure Australia is their destination of choice.

“We want to see full planes flying from Shanghai to Sydney, Beijing to Brisbane and Guangzhou to Cairns.

“Chinese visitors love Australia and all we have to offer. They spend far more than any other tourists, pumping billions of dollars into our economy.

“The more tourists we can get to Queensland, the more business for our hotels, shops and restaurants which will create new local jobs.

THE SUNSHINE STATE IS THE PLACE THEY WANT TO BE

QUEENSLAND is becoming a tourism magnet for the world’s emerging super powers.

With China already the Sunshine State’s top source of international visitors, new statistics from Tourism Research Australia to be released today show visitor numbers from India increased almost 20 per cent in the year to September.

And even more exciting for the state’s tourism industry, visitors from India, which has the world’s biggest population of middle-class citizens with the cash to travel, increased their spending in Queensland by a massive 50 per cent.

The state’s 71,000 Indian visitors, increasingly made up of long-term students, spent a record $144.9 million.

China, which last year overtook New Zealand as Queensland’s biggest tourism market, continues to lead the way with a record 488,000 Chinese travellers visiting the state, spending $1.08 billion.

The international tourism sector was worth a record $5.3 billion in international overnight visitor expenditure in the year to September – an increase of 2.5 per cent, while total international visitor numbers to Queensland also increased 3 per cent to a record 2.6 million.

Numbers grew in all of the state’s 11 tourism regions throughout the year.

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the continued growth of international tourism showed how important the industry was.

She said the education/tourism sector was also growing fast as Queensland makes strides on Victoria, which has long been seen as the country’s “edutourism” capital.

“Across all destinations, the number of people visiting Queensland for education has grown massively in the last year – up by 18.1 per cent to a record 115,000 people,” Ms Jones said.

Source: The Courier Mail 12 December 2017

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