Chinese travellers to outnumber Kiwis as Sydney steps up services

THE number of Chinese travellers coming through Sydney Airport will soon overtake those from New Zealand.

THE number of Chinese travellers coming through Sydney Airport will soon overtake the airport’s biggest foreign passenger source, New Zealand, and is an example of how airports need to adapt to changing demographics and technology, according to Sydney Airport chief executive Kerrie Mather.

Ms Mather told the Australian Airports Association conference in the Gold Coast that the increased influx of Chinese travellers was part of a transformation of the airport’s passenger base over the past decade that had meant a major structural shift for the facility.

It now had 30 Mandarin-speaking guides at the airport, which would rise to 80 between now and Chinese New Year, as well as Chinese signage and versions of the airport’s website and apps.

It was widening its food and beverage to cater for the Asian market and had worked extensively with security provider SNP to cater for the Chinese and other emerging markets.

Ms Mather said there was also a tremendous opportunity to harness information and technology to improve the passenger experience as well as provide resourcing and productivity improvements for customers such as airlines.

She said new technology “touch points’’ allowed airports to interact with passengers well before they arrived and after they left. “Our passengers are becoming younger and more tech savvy and they have changing expectations around information.

“They willingly share information about themselves with companies or over social networks in exchange for a benefit.

“So the opportunity presents itself to use data to simplify our passenger processes, to reduce airlines’ costs, to maximise revenue opportunities and work more efficiently with airlines and our other airport partners.’’