Spending it up down under

Chinese visitors to Queensland's Gold Coast have also increased since flights connecting Wuhan, the capital of Central China's Hubei province, were launched at the end of September.

Two round-trip Jetstar flights run between the two cities a week.

The budget airline plans to double flights as it struggles to accommodate increasing demand, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

"We've seen the number of Chinese clients surge since the flights were launched," says Zhu Qianhan, CEO of Ausvil, which runs a real estate and tourism business in Australia.

Zhu is optimistic because major Chinese real estate titans have invested in Gold Coast tourism facilities, and the city will host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Most Chinese head for such destinations as Sydney, the Gold Coast and Melbourne but have to date largely overlooked other popular places.

The Whitsundays, for example, is an up-and-coming destination among Chinese.

"It's a pristine environment," Hogg says.

"The waterways are stunning."

And it's only an 80 minutes' flight from Brisbane.

Tasmania has captured Chinese imagination, following Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit.

"Many (Chinese) tourists are further discovering the beauty of its natural wildness and great food and wine," Hogg says.

Dining has been a big focus for Australia's tourism authority.

It initiated the Restaurant Australia campaign in October 2014 and invited Chinese food critics to join F&B events since research found local fare and drink were popular among visiting Chinese.

Spending in this area among all tourists has increased by nearly 17 percent since the launch to almost $700 million a year－well above the $500 million target set for two years, media report.

The country will also install Chinese-language road signs, since research has found a growing number of Chinese prefer to take road trips, the Herald Sun reports.

But perhaps the biggest development is forthcoming.

The new visa policy will almost certainly bring more Chinese visitors. And they'll bring their wallets.