China replaces New Zealand as No.1 source of international visitors

The land of the long white cloud has been usurped as Queensland’s No.1 source of international visitors — and tourism operators are changing the way they do business.

QUEENSLAND is riding a new wave of Chinese tourism.

Already our No.1 source of international visitors, China is set to soar as more travellers from the land of the sleeping dragon wake up to the advantages of independent travel.

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Where Chinese tourists were once almost exclusively tied to rigid tour groups, the nation’s new-found global confidence is inspiring many to chase their own Queensland dream holiday.

In the year to September, more than 500,000 Chinese tourists visited Queensland and as the Asian nation celebrates the Chinese New Year holiday period, that number is expected to rise again.

Chinese tourists including Fu Min Yi, her daughter Cai Queen, 9, Zhou Zi Yan, 7, and her mum Zhou Hai Ying, enjoy learn-to-surf classes at the Spit on the Gold Coast with Get Wet Surf School. Picture: Adam Head

It comes as the State Government prepares for a Queensland on Tour expedition to Greater China next month, while campaigns have also been launched to promote new Hainan Airlines routes from Shenzhen to Brisbane and Cairns.

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones said China presented an enormous opportunity to grow the state’s tourism industry.

“Due to staggering growth in the Chinese middle class, millions of people who could never afford to travel are now booking overseas holidays,” she said.

Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Leanne Coddington said the state had made great strides with Chinese audiences but the job was not finished.

“We need to look at new ways to ensure Queensland is the destination of choice in a competitive international marketplace,” she said.

“That’s why late last year TEQ signed a deal with China’s biggest online travel company, CTrip, which will see our experiences marketed to their more than 300 million active members further encouraging them to book a trip.”

Star Entertainment is investing billions of dollars in to its casino resorts in Brisbane and the Gold Coast and CEO Matt Bekier said increasing Chinese visitor numbers was a major part of their forward planning.

“Asia is driving those tourism numbers, more particularly, China, but there is a lot of work to do and no room for complacency,” he said.

Chinese tourists including Zhou Zi Yan, 7, and Cai Queen, 9, from Shanghai, enjoy learn-to-surf classes at the Spit on the Gold Coast with Get Wet Surf School. Picture: Adam Head

Kerri Jekyll, who runs Get Wet Surf on the northern Gold Coast, was quick to adapt her surfing school to the growing boldness of independent Chinese travellers.

From just 1 per cent of the school’s customers seven years ago, Chinese visitors now make up almost a third.

“Everyone was telling us a few years ago that we needed to be prepared for the Chinese market, so we made a few subtle changes,” she said.

Changes included introducing full-sleeve rash shirts and leggings for the modest Chinese to wear in the surf, and employing a designated Chinese instructor helped make the Asian tourists more comfortable as they stepped out of their comfort zone.

“There’s been a huge shift in this market,” she said.

Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said Chinese visitors had leapfrogged New Zealanders as the largest source of international toruists to Australia during the past year.

“Chinese visitors are far and away the highest spending of all nationalities visiting Australia,” she said.

While much of the focus on growth was on China, the emergence of the broader Asian market was a ‘’fantastic’ story.

“We can expect to see strong growth right across Asia, with established markets such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore continuing to rise and emerging markets such as Vietnam starting to boom,” she said.

“With Asian nations now comprising seven our top 10 visitor source markets, the Asian Century is well and truly proving to be an economic gift to Australia’s visitor economy.”