Australia: Chinese Travelers to Become the Biggest Inbound Market

The number of foreign visitors to Australia is increasing, especially from China.

In April 2023, Sydney Airport recorded 3,090,000 passengers, an 83.9% recovery rate compared to April 2019 before the pandemic. Also, in April, 1,127,000 passengers traveled through Sydney’s international airport, more than twice the number from April 2022 and a recovery rate of 80.6% compared to April 2019.

In April, Chinese travelers ranked third among the top nationalities flying through Sydney. It’s an improvement from their fifth-place ranking, with a 39.6% recovery rate in March 2023. Compared to April 2019, 53.8% has recovered.

According to Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert, by the end of May, seven mainland Chinese passenger carriers will offer 30 weekly return services. Furthermore, there are plans to add more flights soon. It’s impressive because the year started with only three airlines offering four round-trip flights to mainland China per week.

According to experts, Chinese tourists are expected to become Australia’s biggest inbound market again by 2025. According to Philippa Harrison, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, airline capacity should increase by 50% over the next few months.

Based on an analysis of Australian inbound tourism, it’s estimated that the Chinese market will stabilize by 2024 and experience significant growth by late 2025. This will make it the largest source market for Australia. New Zealand is expected to follow, with the US and UK markets also showing notable growth.