Longer visas for Chinese tourists

The federal government has extended multiple entry visas to Chinese nationals from three to 10 years, in a bid to better compete with the US.

The federal government has extended multiple entry visas to Chinese nationals from three to 10 years to better compete with the US, which is also clamouring for more Asian tourists.

Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb announced the pilot multiple-entry visas for Chinese citizens last night, given more than 200 million Chinese people are expected to be travelling to destinations such as Australia by 2020. The number of Chinese arrivals to Australia in the year to February topped 877,400, up 18.4 per cent on the previous year.

“Our research shows competitive visas are a big deal with the Chinese,” outgoing Tourism Australia chairman Geoff Dixon told The Australian yesterday. “Believe me, we need to be competitive. This 10-year multiple-entry visa will increase numbers. Chinese make a large amount of repeat visits to Australia, obviously some have invested here as well. It is becoming so vital it is at our peril if we don’t embrace it.”

But Mr Dixon, who steps down on June 30, acknowledged that Australia’s $110 billion tourism industry was not ready for the influx of mainland Chinese that started several years ago.

“Everybody has been shocked by the sheer weight of numbers,’’ he said. “But we really do have many of the things the Chinese want. They want a safe and secure destination, aquatic scenery, really good food and welcoming people. It’s almost as if we planned it.”