Aussies still back strong tourist, trade links with China

Australians still overwhelmingly support investment and tourism from China despite increasingly frosty relations between the two countries.

Australians still overwhelmingly support stronger investment and tourism from China despite increasingly frosty diplomatic relations between the two countries.

A poll by the University of Technology Sydney and the Australia-China Relations Institute has found Australians back increasing trade, education and tourist links with China even though a majority mistrusted the Beijing government.

The poll found 74 per cent of respondents believed tourists from China provided a major economic benefit to the country while 63 per cent say we should continue making Australia an attractive destination for Chinese tourists.

The poll’s authors Elena Collinson and Paul Burke said Australia’s views on China had become more pessimistic over the past year, but there was still majority support for building stronger ties particularly in tourism and education.

They said the Australia-China relationship had been frozen since 2017, with Chinese economic coercion starting to bite and Canberra’s pushback reaching a new intensity.

“While Australians are concerned about both the downward spiral in relations and China’s new assertiveness, they are not yet willing to give up on the relationship, recognising some of its benefits,” they said. “They are still trying to make sense of this period of tumult and understand a constantly evolving strategic situation.”

While 80 cent of those polled say that Australia is too economically reliant on China, 63 per cent note that without close engagement with Beijing, Australia would not be as prosperous. Half of those polled say encouraging tourism from China needed to be a post Covid-19 priority for Australia.

Chinese Tourists on the Gold Coast with Get Wet Surf School. Pics Adam Head

The poll of the views of 2000 adults across all Australian states and territories also found that 76 per cent believe international students from China provided a major economic boost.

Tourism leaders say the poll showed Australians understood the need to foster relations with China and rebuilt the fractured relationship.

Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said the Chinese market was the country’s biggest for inbound tourism before the pandemic and needed to remain so.

“It will be critical that we get it back post-pandemic if we are to facilitate a full recovery of the visitor economy - one of the nation’s four super growth industries,” said Ms Osmond “Chinese students in particular - apart from their importance to our education sector - provide a vital workforce for the tourism and hospitality sectors.”

Star Entertainment chief executive Matt Bekier said the poll showed there was an incredible opportunity for the sector if it moved “safely and quickly” to open international borders.

“Asian tourism will drive the post-Covid tourism recovery,” said Mr Bekier, whose company is building the $3.6bn Queen’s Wharf resort in Brisbane.

“The pre-pandemic forecasts were undeniable.with Australia recording record levels of visitation and growth in tourism numbers.”

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said Australia’s relationship with China, which had been particularly strong through tourism and student visitation over the last few decades, needed to be maintained.

“Australia will and must re-open to the world and China can again become an important partner to our industry and to the country,” said Mr Gschwind.

“There is no better tool for soft diplomacy than interaction with visitors and students from different places around the world.”