Australia rolling out the red carpet for Chinese tourists

Australia has the lucrative Chinese market firmly in its sights as it launches the latest stage of a global campaign to boost its ever-popular tourism sector.

"On Thursday, we will officially launch the second chapter of Tourism Australia's 'Come and say G'day' campaign in Shanghai, China," Phillipa Harrison, managing director of Tourism Australia, the government agency responsible for attracting international visitors to the country for leisure and business events, told China Daily.

The latest tourism drive features programs with brand ambassador Ruby the Souvenir Kangaroo, joined by "talent well-known to audiences in the US, UK, China, India and Japan", including Chinese actor Yu Shi, who will promote Australia as an international holiday destination, according to the agency.

Harrison said an event featuring Chinese actor Yu Shi will be launched for local creative executions, and, "we are confident it will encourage Chinese audiences to plan and book an Australian holiday".

The efforts to spur Australia's pillar tourism sector follow a "teaser campaign" launched by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his recent visit to China, with the new advertising drive being rolled out in other key markets before the end of the year, Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell said in a statement.

Albanese met representatives from the business, tourism and sports sectors during his weeklong official visit to China in July, which took him to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.

The Australian government is now set to inject A$130 million ($84 million) into its tourism sector, "aimed at encouraging international travelers to plan and book an Australian holiday", Farrell said.

The sector has been growing since the resumption of global travel following the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and hit 11.8 million by 2029, he said.

"Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs," Farrell said. "Come and Say G'day' is bringing more visitors to our shores, creating more jobs and growing our economy."

China is one of Australia's top international visitor markets, registering 860,000 trips for the year ending March 2025, up 26 percent on March 2024 levels, according to official industry data provider Tourism Research Australia.

International tourism to Australia has recovered following the pandemic, with the number of trips made in the year ending March 2025 at 90 percent of March 2019 levels, it said. Visitor expenditure in the 12 months to March 2025 reached a record A$52.6 billion ($33.97 billion).

Tourism Australia's Harrison said the "Come and say G'day" campaign will help to ensure that Australia remains front of mind for travelers in a competitive global travel market.

xinxin@chinadaily.com.cn