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The Australian tourism industry has been saved by the influx of wealthy Asian tourists.
11 January 2012
Asian wealth bolsters Australian tourism
Australia's resistance to recession combined with Europe's continuing economic frailty has seen the Australian Dollar has gone from strength to strength. While this may be great for Australia, it has meant a drop for Australian tourism. Fortunately however, the increase in Asian, particularly Chinese, visitors has revitalised the faltering industry.
Recent research by the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown that despite almost 6 million international visitors in 2010, almost 7.5 million Australians chose to get more for their money and take their holidays abroad. However, the rapid increase of Chinese wealthy middle class tourists acquiring an Australian visa has allowed the tourism industry to continue to grow.
Chairman of Tourism Australia Geoff Dixon said that "China and Asia are coming to Australia's rescue when it comes to tourism" and likened the much needed stimulation to the help China gave Australia with its mining industry.
"It's accelerating at a rate I don't think anybody really expected" Mr Dixon continued, adding that China is closely followed by Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and India in making up the numbers of Australian tourist visas.
Tourism research has shown that China contributed AU3.1 billion (£2 billion) to the local industry in 2010, a figure that could reach AU$6 billion (£4 billion) by 2020, more than double the input of the UK, Australia's second biggest market.
This could be the reason Tourism Australia has been developing new campaigns which specifically target Chinese and Asian tourists, even going so far as to recruit Taiwanese singing sensation Show Luo in 2011 to make 10 advertisements promoting Queensland.
The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications with the Australian High Commission.
