Xinhua News Agency, Melbourne, October 9th, Communications｜Australia’s “craze to go to China” continues to heat up
Xinhua News Agency reporter Xiong Wenyuan
This year’s China National Day holiday overlaps with school holidays in Victoria, Australia, and many Australians choose to embark on a trip to China. Xinhua News Agency reporters recently interviewed a number of tourists going to China at the Melbourne Airport in Australia: some went to China for the first time, some set off again with new business plans, some looked forward to delicious food and mountains, and some paid attention to cooperation and opportunities...
More and more Australians are interested in China and look forward to coming to China. The person in charge of Air China's Melbourne sales department told reporters that just looking at the operation of the route from Melbourne to Beijing, the capacity has significantly expanded compared to last year, and the number of passengers continues to rise. "Inquiries in the local market are on the rise, Australian tourists are more willing to visit China, and demand for business, study, and leisure travel continues to pick up."
Sharon, an Australian businessman who is engaged in the environmentally friendly daily necessities business, maintains frequent business contacts with Chinese partners. He told reporters that his company designs daily necessities such as dinner plates and cups made of recyclable materials in Australia, and then contacts Chinese suppliers for mold development and production. “China’s manufacturing capabilities are second to none!”
At Melbourne Airport, Sharon once again embarked on a journey to China. This time, he has a new plan to purchase machinery and equipment from China to sell in Australia. “We have several exciting projects.”
Reese Roberts, national chairman of the Australia China Business Council, said in a written interview with Xinhua News Agency that more and more members of the council are traveling to China. China's visa-free policy reduces travel costs and shortens pre-trip preparation time, especially for smaller companies to conduct short-term market inspections in China.
Roberts said that members who went to China often have similar feelings after returning home: the scale and development speed of the Chinese market, as well as the high demands of Chinese consumers for products, are difficult to fully understand just by observing them from a distance.
“We want to see China with our own eyes!” Michael, an Australian young man, told reporters that he and two friends were going to Changzhou, Jiangsu Province to attend a wedding. The groom is from Australia, the bride is from China, and the best man is Michael himself. Since China launched a visa-free policy for Australia, Michael made his travel plans early.
Attending the wedding was not the only purpose of Michael and his friends' trip. They planned to enjoy Chinese food, booked mountain hiking projects online, and also planned to take the high-speed rail specifically to feel the "speed of China."
“I like Peking duck very much!” Alexey, an undergraduate majoring in aerospace at RMIT University in Australia, blurted out when talking about his expectations for his trip to China. His family had already set off to travel to China ahead of him, and they met in Beijing. Alexei looks forward to visiting China in person, seeing it and experiencing the local culture. In addition, he also hopes to visit exhibitions related to his major and explore future development opportunities. "In China, I think there will be many opportunities in the aerospace field."
In response to a question from a Xinhua News Agency reporter, a spokesman for the Australian state government of Victoria said: "Tourism helps enhance mutual understanding, promote cultural exchanges, and strengthen ties between Victoria and China." The spokesperson said that China is one of Victoria's most important international tourist source markets, and Victoria values the contribution of Chinese tourists to the local economy and the cultural connections brought about by two-way tourism.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that from the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year, the number of short-term trips made by Australian residents to mainland China increased by nearly 14% compared with the previous fiscal year, which was significantly higher than the approximately 3.7% increase in the overall short-term overseas travel of Australian residents during the same period.
A leisurely experience trip, a trip full of expected opportunities, a business trip of mutually beneficial cooperation... Australia's ever-increasing "travel to China" has different aspects. Today, more and more Australians are approaching China with enthusiasm and experiencing this ever-changing country first-hand.
