Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb has announced the Australian government will offer new three-year multi-entry tourist visas for Chinese visitors, underscoring China’s importance as a key source market for tourism.
This expands on a programme which offered the same validity only for business travellers and increases the visa available for leisure travellers from one year to three.
Speaking at the the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards, Robb noted that 47% of Chinese travellers are now repeat visitors.
"Repeat visitors are an increasingly important market sector as they tend to stay for longer periods and are higher yielding in terms of their spending," Robb said.
In the last year to September 2014, almost 790,000 Chinese tourists visited Australia spending A$5.4 billion, according to Australian government data.
Globally about 100 million Chinese travel overseas which is expected to double in just five years.
"Tourism and hospitality is one of Australia’s great strengths. It is our largest services export – worth $30 billion in export income – and directly or indirectly employs one million Australians, including large numbers in regional Australia," Robb said.
