Wildlife, wine and adventure are luring high-spending Chinese tourists to Eyre Peninsula safaris

HAHNDORF Inn and Goin’ Off Safaris are determined to see Chinese tourists return home spruiking South Australia’s unique attributes.

David Doudle from Goin' Off Safaris.

HAHNDORF Inn and Goin’ Off Safaris are two businesses determined to attract Chinese tourists and ensure they go home spruiking the joys of their experience.

David “Lunch” Doudle runs adventure tours in Port Lincoln and last year travelled to China and met with about 500 different tourism agents to explain his tailor-made offerings exploring Lower Eyre Peninsula and its pristine beaches, koala colony and fresh seafood.

The business started in 2005 is now a regular user of China’s most popular social media platform WeChat and has a translator available to join tours.

“What we offer here with the seafood, the wildlife, our coastline, open space, a bit of an adventure, the Chinese particularly love this type of tourism, it’s hands on,” Mr Doudle, a former sheep shearer, swimming and aquatic instructor and keen world traveller, said.

“We are now getting a lot of contacts from agents, it’s absolutely perfect for what they are requesting, they are avid travellers and don’t mind going out of the way to experience new areas where nobody has been before because it’s actually bragging rights to their friends and family.”

Andrew Harvey says the Hahndorf hotel he manages has Union Pay credit card facilities, employs a Mandarin-speaking staff member, trains staff in the etiquette behind seating visitors and is a corporate partner with China Southern Airlines.

The hotel is active on social media through WeChat that now has more than 700 million active monthly users.

And the inn’s owner, Andrew Holmes, has been helping with workshops educating other tourism and service businesses about improving the experience for Chinese guests.

Mr Harvey said the business actively built relationships with tourism operators in both China and Adelaide to ensure the Hahndorf Inn was slotted into itineraries.

“We are considered one of the “must sees” for the Chinese market, we are ranked number one with Chinese visitors to South Australia,” he said.