Chinese tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday have to consider a number of factors, including geography, policies and prices, and some popular tourist markets such as Australia cannot compete with Southeast Asia in this regard, according to travel sources and Reuters data.
Australia used to be a magnet for Chinese tourists. But visa conditions have somewhat taken away that advantage.
In contrast, some Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia have taken advantage of cheaper prices and relaxed visa policies to attract large numbers of tourists from China.
Chinese tourists flock to Southeast Asia.
Mr. Johnny Nee, director of Easy Going Travel Company (Perth, Western Australia), admitted Australia's disadvantage in Southeast Asia.
He said that during the Lunar New Year period, his business only recovered 40% of its pre-COVID-19 levels. In contrast, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia saw tourist numbers and spending surpass pre-pandemic levels.
"China's economic situation is not very stable and Chinese tourists are having to consider prices, which means they will prefer to go to places that are easier to get to and easier to experience tourism...", he said.
According to this person, currently the cost of tourists, including airfare and accommodation, has increased by 20% compared to the pre-pandemic period. "The visa exemption policy from Thailand and Singapore is quite attractive, personally I think that has helped pull Chinese tourists out of Australia," he added.
The data also suggests that the economic situation appears to have made Chinese tourists less willing to spend big on popular, traditional destinations like Australia. This year, Chinese tourists accounted for 26% of visitors to Australia during the Lunar New Year, a modest figure compared to more than 50% in pre-pandemic 2019. Domestic tour operators in Australia have recorded revenues that are 50% lower than in 2019.
