Australian tourism head departs on China visit

CANBERRA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Tourism Australia (TA) has launched a campaign for the growth of the country's number one tourism market -- China.

Phillipa Harrison, managing director of TA, on Wednesday departed for a three-day visit to Chinese cities of Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai where she will meet with strategic partners in a bid to invite Chinese tourists to Australia.

The trip will coincide with a localized version of TA's "Don't Go Small, Go Australia" campaign showcasing iconic sites such as the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru and Sydney Opera House to China.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Chinese visitors accounted for about 15 percent of all foreign tourists to Australia and for one third of tourism spending in the country, according to News Corp Australia.

Airline capacity between the countries is expected to reach 80 percent of pre-COVID levels by the end of 2023.

Prior to departing, Harrison said the visit would focus on capturing visiting friends and relatives' market ahead of launching a major campaign later in 2023.

She said that she looks forward to meeting with key airline partners in China about opportunities to strengthen aviation capacity to Australia.

"A strong aviation environment is key to the growth of the China market. These meetings will be crucial as we build up to the launch of a major campaign in China in the middle of the year," she said.