Australian tourism received a further boost following the signing of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) last Wednesday.
ABC news reports that the introduction of a new 10 year multiple entry tourist visa is welcome news for Chinese tourism operators.
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The new rule makes Australia the fourth country to offer Chinese nationals a decade-long visa.
Singapore, the United States and Canada also have similar schemes.
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Tony Chen, from online travel service company Haiwan, said the new visa rule would raise interest among would-be travellers.
“Australia is in our top 10 list of destinations,” he said.
“Visitor experience could be improved if there were more Chinese language services available.” [Click here to read the full article]
The economic importance of China on Australia’s tourism industry cannot be understated. Realising the benefits of the growth in Chinese visitors will depend however on Australia’s marketers and tourism operators to ensure their services cater to the travel and language needs of Chinese visitors.
Good examples where traveller needs are being catered for include the growth of China UnionPay payment facilities and hotels employing Feng Shui in hotel design.
And while Chinese billboards are becoming a familiar sight around our major airports, there is a long way to go before Australian companies bridge the language gap with our largest and most valuable tourists. How prepared is your business?
