Australia offers new incentives to woo Chinese

Australia has been gaining popularity among Chinese visitors, who have surpassed New Zealanders to become the top spenders. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Qantas Airways opened a new direct flight from Beijing on Jan 26.

Flights to Australia on the new route are timed to connect with Qantas' network to popular onward destinations, such as Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart, as well as the airline's Tasman routes to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, the company says.

Australia is also investing in cultural promotion.

Chinese actor Wu Xiubo was appointed Tourism Australia's ambassador for the bilateral tourism year.

The Australian authority hopes the appointment will provide an authentic Chinese voice to show what Australia offers.

"I've been deeply influenced and moved by my travel experiences and interactions in Australia," Wu says.

"These memories have influenced my work in myriad ways."

Australia's location in the Southern Hemisphere makes it appealing to Chinese snowbirds, who wish to enjoy summer in winter.

But high travel costs and a strict visa policy earlier meant Chinese long-haul travelers preferred the Unit-ed States and Europe.

Australian operators have adapted products for Chinese visitors, including multilingual brochures, attraction maps, signage and express lanes for local Chinese guides.

Chinese wax figures have also been introduced at Madame Tussauds Sydney, including Jackie Chan.

Cairns' Skyrail Rainforest Cableway in Queensland is providing cultural-awareness training for its staff, with annual refreshers. Other measures include welcome signage and guides in simplified Chinese.

Bookings to Australia during the recent Spring Festival holiday roughly doubled over the previous year on China's biggest online travel agency, Ctrip, and many popular travel service providers, such as Lvmama.

The number of individual travelers who prefer in-depth experiences in Australia has significantly increased over the recent years, reports Tongcheng Network Technology, a major online travel agency in Jiangsu province.

Many Chinese agencies have launched more intercity routes for individual travelers to the country.

"Chinese travel attitudes are changing from heavily scripted sightseeing to more unique, personal experiences," Ciobo says.

"And this is very much what our campaigns and marketing activities in China now focus upon."

Australia is known for its diverse natural landscapes. The Great Barrier Reef and wild animals are two must-dos most visitors seek.

But some Chinese agencies have begun to promote less-known destinations.