THINK CHINA

Chinese Global Shoppers

Feb 13, 2016
2016 marketing insights to target Chinese global shoppers in Australia
With so many businesses attempting to enter the Chinese market, many forget one important market – those Chinese global shoppers that are already in Australia. Reaching out to these global shoppers is an important step in familiarising Chinese consumers with your brand and recommending it to their friends and family when they return home. So whether you’re looking to enter the Chinese market for the first time or wanting to expand an existing strategy into China, here are five facts you should know about Chinese global shoppers in Australia.
Over 1 million mainland Chinese global shoppers arrived in Australia in 2015
Many businesses underestimate the volume of mainland Chinese global shoppers that come to Australia. The number of Chinese visitors to Australia exceeded one million in the year ending November 30, 2015, more than 21% higher than the previous year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. To put it into real terms, the number of Chinese visitors to Australia last year was greater than the combined population of the Gold Coast and Canberra. Although mainland China had the second highest number of visitors to Australia, average spend per visitor is far more than visitors from New Zealand, UK and the Unite State. Compare with 2014, the number of arrival from mainland China in 2015 is also set to increase with Chinese visitors achieving the highest rate of growth (22%), significantly higher than New Zealand (5% growth rate), US (8%) and UK (2% growth rate).
Holidaymakers and students require different strategies
More than half of all mainland Chinese visitors to Australia are holidaymakers, with 52.1% of all arrivals coming to Australia for a vacation, according to Tourism Research Australia. Chinese travellers visiting friends and relatives in Australia (20.5%) and those coming for education (13.1%) are also significant. Businesses wishing to target holidaymakers need to understand that Chinese travellers are growing more reliant on online sources with 90 per cent of Chinese independent travellers using the internet when both planning and booking their trips, according to Tourism Queensland. Travellers are using the web to determine the reliability of travel companies and destinations with 53 per cent educating themselves about destinations and brands before their holiday. With these statistics in mind, Australian companies have a great opportunity to harness the potential of Chinese tourists’ internet behaviours. Successful online marketing to these consumers is a key step to tapping into the Chinese tourism market and enticing more travellers to enjoy Australia’s offerings.
The majority of Chinese shoppers arrive in Sydney but make stopovers in Victoria and Queensland
The majority of Chinese global shoppers arrive in Sydney (44.5%), followed by Melbourne (33.8%) and Brisbane (12.3%), according to Tourism Research Australia. Although Sydney has the highest number of arrivals, it should be noted that a significant number of Chinese global shoppers also made stopovers in Victoria and Queensland.
Authors
Benjamin Sun
Benjamin Sun