Chinese visitors flocking in to the Gold Coast
LAW changes cracking down on "dodgy" Gold Coast shopping tours have had little impact on the number of Chinese travellers to the city, industry experts say.
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LAW changes cracking down on "dodgy" Gold Coast shopping tours have had little impact on the number of Chinese travellers to the city, industry experts say.
Tourism officials had feared a downturn following the Chinese Government's decision in October to stamp out operators that offered lower-priced packages initially, only to slug travellers with commissions and artificial increases at Gold Coast shops and attractions.
CHINESE TOUCH DOWN FOR NEW YEAR
The move was part of a push by the Chinese to target shonky operators in Australia, Thailand and Hawaii.
The arrival of the first of three charter flights filled with middle-class visitors from mainland China yesterday was a clear sign holiday-makers were not deterred by the new laws, Gold Coast Tourism boss Martin Winter said.
"It is too early for us to see data, but the anecdotal evidence suggests there are lots of Chinese visitors to the Gold Coast," he said.
"To have these flights booked after October and filled is such a good sign of things to come.
"Next year we could see double or triple the amount of numbers on these charter flights, which shows great faith in the Gold Coast."
Mr Winter said the next thing the Gold Coast tourism industry should focus on was luring free and independent travellers, with 95 per cent of Chinese tourists still booking as part of large tour groups.
The China Southern Airlines plane touched down early yesterday and travellers were greeted by a range of Australian animals and Chinese New Year celebrations.
A plane will travel to the Gold Coast from Shenzeng later this week and the third, a Cathay Pacific flight, will depart from Hong Kong.
Gold Coast Airport's Paul Donovan said the city was attracting large numbers of wealthy Chinese. Last year they contributed $160 million to the economy, with visitor numbers up 37 per cent.
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