TOURISM SECTOR’S PLEA ANSWERED FOR VISA DEAL TO ENCOURAGE TRAVEL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA & CHINA

A new reciprocal visa arrangement to encourage travel between Australia and China has been welcomed by the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) Australia as a vital boost to the tourism industry.

TTF CEO Margy Osmond praised the agreement announced by Australia and China to provide access to reciprocal three to five-year multi-entry visas for visitors and business people, following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing.

“This new visa arrangement will make travel between our two countries much easier, allowing more Australians to visit China and hopefully encourage more Chinese tourists and students to visit Australia, helping support our local tourism industry,” Ms Osmond said.

“This is fantastic news, not just for local tourism operators, but for all other businesses, from retail to hospitality, who benefit from increased visitor numbers.”

“TTF raised the issue of visas when we were part of the Australia-China High Level Dialogue in Beijing in September this year. We’re very pleased both the Australian and Chinese Governments have listened to our plea for change.”

“While China was Australia’s number one source market for international tourism pre-pandemic, arrival numbers are still well below pre-Covid levels. We hope these changes can help ease the way for more Chinese tourism to Australia and help our sector recover.”