Boom: The Rapid Growth of Chinese Tourism

China is the world’s largest source of outbound tourists. This chapter traces the rapid expansion of Chinese tourism in Australia and links it to other trends in the pattern of inbound tourism to Australia. It analyses the early days when Chinese tourism in Australia, similar to elsewhere, was package tours and conventional destinations. We demonstrate how it gradually moved more towards independent travel. We discuss how cultural and linguistic issues slowed that transition. The chapter examines where the bulk of Chinese tourists have come from within China and how this is changing somewhat over time, who they were and why they came. This includes details about airline routes and geopolitical considerations around visas. The chapter explains the multiple factors in China that influence the extent, type and destination of outbound tourism to many global destinations, including but not limited to Australia.