Chinese tourism spend still half of what it was pre-Covid

International travel into Australia yet to bounce back to pre-Covid levels, with new figures revealing the Chinese market is one of the slowest to recover.

Tourism Minister Don Farrell says there is work to be done to get the sector back to pre-pandemic levels. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

International travel into Australia is yet to bounce back to pre-Covid levels, with new figures revealing the Chinese market is one of the slowest to recover.

While Chinese tourism brought nearly $10.5bn into Australia in the year to September 2019, that spend was down to just over $5bn in the 12 months leading up to September this year.

According to data from Tourism Research Australia (TRA), there were only 387,000 trips from China over that time, which represented just 29 per cent of what the tourism sector enjoyed before the pandemic.

By comparison, New Zealanders made 1.1 million trips to Australia – 84 per cent of levels seen in the 12 months to September 2019.

The Kiwis’ spend was up by 14 per cent on 2019 levels, with $1.8bn splashed out while they travelled Australia.

The US and UK markets were also bouncing back, with each market accounting for a $1.8bn spend over 12 months.

More than 550,000 trips were taken from the UK to Australia, down 17 per cent on 2019 levels, and more than 570,000 from the US, down 25 per cent, compared with 2019. The TRA recorded 365,000 trips from India – “on par with September 2019 levels”.

The figures showed Australians were spending more money than ever on domestic tourism, with an increase of 37 per cent – or $20.9bn – compared with 2019.

This growth was led by older Australians, with 55-64-year-olds accounting for the biggest growth in domestic tourism.

Most states and territories recorded a growth in domestic tourism spending. Tasmania rose 34 per cent, followed by Canberra, with an 8 per cent rise. NSW and the NT were the only two jurisdictions to decline, with 10 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.

Tourism Minister Don Farrell said the government was aware there was “still work to be done”. “That’s why the Albanese Labor government is delivering a tailored $48m package of support for Australia’s tourism industry,” he said.

Compared with the 12 months to September 2022, the number of international visitors into Australia had tripled to 6.1 million, while spend in Australia had risen to just under $26bn, 18 per cent below what it was in 2019.

The number of people travelling to Australia to visit friends and family had risen to 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels – with 2.3 million trips over the 12 months to September this year. Holiday travel was still down. “(It’s) 57 per cent of September 2019 levels,” the TRA revealed.

Senator Farrell said full recovery to pre-pandemic levels was not far away. “We’re on track to exceed pre-pandemic international visitor numbers in 2025.”