Chinese travel to Australia remains well below pre-pandemic levels, with Australian tourism experts warning the outlook for 2026 is uncertain.
New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that in the 12 months to November last year, China was Australia’s second largest source market for imports, with total arrivals of more than 1 million, an increase of 16% compared to 2024.
Official figures show Chinese travelers spent $9.2 billion in Australia in the 12 months to March 2025, making China the country’s most valuable inbound tourism market by spending.
However, these numbers are still significantly lower than those seen before the pandemic.
In 2019, the number of Chinese arrivals reached more than 1.4 million, and tourist spending reached $12.4 billion.
Fan Songshan, a leading China tourism expert at Edith Cowan University, said broader economic pressures in China were weighing on demand for international travel.
“Ultimately, the outlook for this year will depend on the broader economic situation,” Professor Huang said.
“The world is unstable and much depends on whether China can maintain its economic momentum.
“If people feel their wealth is decreasing, they may reduce or completely abandon international travel.”
He said Chinese travelers going abroad were increasingly choosing short-haul destinations over long-haul markets such as Australia, mainly due to longer flight times and costs.
The country recorded annual economic growth of 5% last year, but the momentum slowed in the second half, with GDP growth slowing to 4.8% in the third quarter and 4.5% in the fourth, according to data released this week by China’s National Bureau of Statistics.
As of November last year, China was Australia’s third largest source of visitors, with 74,500 visitors, behind New Zealand (127,820) and the UK (80,090).
Tourism Australia positive for recovery
Tourism Australia is striking a more optimistic tone.
“China continues to be a very important market for Australian tourists,” managing director Robin Mack said.
“It is currently our second largest source market for visitors and our largest by total visitor spend.”
Chinese tourism to Australia has slowly recovered since the coronavirus outbreak. (Reuters: David Gray, File)
Tourism Research Australia predicts China will be one of Australia’s fastest growing inbound markets from 2025 to 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 7.3%.
But many believe it will take years for Chinese tourism to reach pre-pandemic levels, even though many of Australia’s other tourism markets have already recovered more than adequately.
For example, the number of visitors from South Korea nearly doubled from 26,010 in November 2019 to 44,760 in November 2025.
Australian Open and Chinese New Year buoys
If last year’s trends repeat, January and February are once again expected to be the busiest months for Chinese arrivals, with visitor numbers expected to outpace those from New Zealand, the UK and the US.
Jay Chow was one of the stars to watch at this year’s Australian Open. (Reuters: Edgar Hsu)
These months coincide with the Australian Open and Chinese New Year holidays, a period when many middle-class Chinese travelers traditionally travel abroad.
Chinese tennis fans were disappointed this year when women’s star Zheng Qinwen withdrew from the Australian Open due to injury, but the event received an unexpected boost with the appearance of Mandopop superstar Jay Chou.
Mr Chow, one of the most influential music industry figures in the Chinese-speaking world, attended the match in Melbourne, took part in the fan-centered “One Point Slam” challenge, and then watched the match from the stands.
Jay Chou received cheers from the audience at the Australian Open. (Reuters: Holly Adams)
At one point, tournament organizers played his hit song “Nunchucks” over the stadium’s speakers, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
The Australian Open said Chow’s presence had generated significant interest online.
“Jay Chou is a huge tennis fan and has many friends in the tennis world, including many players,” the spokesperson said.
“We were very happy to see our content being widely shared and enjoyed.”
Bai Zhuoxuan, a Chinese female player who advanced to the second round of the tournament, has previously spoken of Zhou as a personal inspiration.
“His music is always with me, whether I’m traveling, training, before games or on holidays,” she wrote on social media.
Why recovery is slower than expected
Professor Huang said China’s domestic economic priorities are influencing travel behavior.
“Household income expectations are softening as the real estate market is under pressure,” he said.
“For many middle-class families, that means cutting back on non-essential expenses, such as long-distance international travel.”
Sam Huang said the Chinese government wants people to spend their tourism money domestically. (Supplied)
He said government policy also played a role.
“Domestic travel is strongly encouraged rather than international travel,” he said.
“From a national economic perspective, it makes sense to continue spending domestically to stimulate domestic demand.”
Professor Huang noted that China has introduced visa-free entry for nationals of many countries, including Australia, as part of its efforts to attract inbound tourism spending.
“Inbound tourism follows the same logic, encouraging overseas tourists to come to China and spend their money,” he said.
He said despite the challenges, Tourism Australia’s promotional efforts in China remained important.
More than 1.4 million Chinese tourists visited Australia in 2019. (Reuters: David Gray, File)
Tourism Australia launched its Come and Say G’day campaign in China last year as part of a broader effort to rebuild demand.
Tourism Australia’s Robin Mack said China remained a priority market.
“We have a comprehensive program of trade and consumer marketing throughout the year to encourage Chinese travelers to visit Australia,” he said.
“So far, the response has been encouraging.”