Australia to spend $30 million to draw Chinese tourists

The Australian government said on Monday it would spend $30 million to market Australia to the Chinese travel market and hold a forum on Chinese tourism in Cairns.

It aims to capitalise on the fast growing Chinese market, which is worth $2.8 billion to Australia's tourism industry and is forecast to increase at an average annual a rate of 10.2 per cent to $5.5 billion in 2017.

Funds are set to be directed towards working with major airline partners and launching Tourism Australia There's Nothing Like Australia campaign in China in August.

They will also be used to strengthen the government's partnerships with travel agents who sell Australian holidays in China through Tourism Australia's Aussie Specialist travel agent program and streamline its Approved Destination Status (ADS) Scheme.

Australia will also broaden its reach and focus on strengthening investment beyond Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou into Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

A high level forum in Cairns will also be conducted in the near future, strengthening tourism ties between Australia and China and boosting the number of Chinese tourists to Australia and in particular to north Queensland.

The announcement has been welcomed across the industry.

"ATEC is pleased to see the focus on Cairns in this announcement," said Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) Managing Director Matt Hingerty.

"Cairns and the Far North Queensland region has been badly hit by the decline in the Japanese market in recent years.

"However the area has shown an excellent ability to adapt to new markets and new trading conditions, and so is a good choice for this forum,"

Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism and Member for Barron River Steve Wettenhall expressed similar sentiments.

"Since the gradual decline of Japanese tourists to the Tropical North, Tourism Queensland reassessed its marketing strategy for the Tropical North and since then has been aggressively targeting the Chinese market," he said.