At the beginning of 2023, Australian leaders are looking forward to starting to promote Australian tourism to foreign tourists, especially with a focus on Chinese tourists. However, in less than half a year, Australia did not welcome the expected large number of Chinese tourists. On the contrary, Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand have become popular tourist destinations for Chinese tourists. The number of Chinese tourists is gradually increasing, but it is still far from the pre-pandemic level. The absence of Chinese tourists has cost the global travel industry a huge amount of money, and Ctrip, China's largest travel agency, has also reported a surge in outbound travel bookings. As a result, Southeast Asian countries are becoming more and more travelling, and various places are preparing to welcome a large number of Chinese tourists during the Chinese New Year.
In addition to the decline in the number of Chinese tourists, Chinese tourists have also encountered various difficulties when applying for Australian tourist visas, and even visa refusals are not uncommon. Some Chinese tourists said that the approval process for Australian tourist visas is extremely subjective, and the rejection rate is quite high. Chinese tourists also shared their experiences of visa refusal online, revealing the shocking templated refusal letters used by the Australian visa department. These unfair refusals have greatly discouraged Chinese tourists from visiting Australia. Despite this, Ctrip still listed Australia as one of the top travel destinations, but did not provide specific data. Australia still has a unique attraction for Chinese tourists, including natural beauty, low-density population, clean environment, and fresh seafood. However, due to the reduction in direct flights from Australia to China, more and more Chinese tourists are choosing to travel to Southeast Asian countries instead of Australia. As a result, Southeast Asian countries, including Japan and South Korea, will be popular tourist destinations for Chinese tourists in 2024.
Australia** has amended its biosecurity laws to strengthen the detection of prohibited imports. The importance of implementing biosecurity procedures and declaring incoming and outgoing items is extremely important. Recently, a Chinese tourist was found to be carrying prohibited items for failing to declare and was fined as much as 17,000 yuan. Australia's borders are strict, and breaches of biosecurity laws can result in fines or even visa cancellations. In 2022, the expansion of the grounds for visa cancellation has given *** greater discretion to deal with those entering the country who violate the biosecurity law. Therefore, when travelling to Australia, travelers must comply with the relevant regulations and declare items truthfully to avoid unnecessary troubles and fines.
Overall, the decline in the number of Chinese tourists has had a significant impact on the Australian tourism market. On the one hand, the absence of Chinese tourists has led to a huge loss of money for the global tourism industry and has made Southeast Asian countries the preferred destinations for Chinese tourists. On the other hand, the difficulties and refusals encountered by Chinese tourists when applying for Australian tourist visas have also affected the enthusiasm and confidence of Chinese tourists. Australia** should strengthen tourism cooperation with China, simplify the visa application process, and provide more friendly and fair treatment to attract more Chinese tourists. At the same time, Australia should also strengthen biosecurity inspections to ensure that the domestic ecological environment is not damaged by alien species, but it should follow the principles of fairness and transparency in implementation to avoid unnecessary trouble and dissatisfaction for Chinese tourists. Only through the efforts and cooperation of both sides can the development of the China-Australia tourism market be restored and promoted.