The number of tourists from mainland China visiting Australia exceeded 1 million for the first time in history in November 2015.*

There’s also an interesting development in the trend, in that more Chinese tourists are starting to prefer free independent travel over group tours, according to data from Tourism Australia. This means there’s an exciting and growing opportunity for Australian businesses to serve the increasing number of Chinese tourists.

This is complemented by an increasing number of hotels and travel agencies in Australia providing Chinese language services, tour guides and food to attract Chinese tourists. This information formed part of a report titled ‘The Annual Report on China Outbound Tourism (2015)’ published by the China Tourism Academy and reflects an ever increasing positive shift in the way Australians have historically welcomed and served overseas visitors.

Chinese travellers who are visiting Australia are ready to spend. Shopping is one of the top three favourite activities for the average Chinese tourist and, with an average spend more than 33% higher than any other traveller, they represent a huge opportunity for Australian businesses who welcome them.

To do that, businesses must prepare themselves by understanding more about Chinese preferences, their culture, shopping habits, language, payment methods, etc. The better the readiness of Australian businesses to serve this growing group, the more opportunities there will be to increase business.

The report also points out that an increasing number of overseas merchants take UnionPay card acceptance as an important method of attracting Chinese tourists. The acceptance of UnionPay cards has become an important indicator to measure the degree of satisfaction of Chinese tourists.

Currently, UnionPay cards are accepted at more than 34 million merchants and 2 million ATMs in 157 countries and regions worldwide. In Australia, more and more businesses are now welcoming the preferred payment method of almost every Chinese visitor, making it easier for them to access their money while traveling overseas.

NAB has enabled Point of Sale acceptance throughout most of its merchant network, its ATMs and it’s the only bank in Australia to have a UnionPay online acceptance program.

For more information, speak to your NAB Business Banker, call 13 10 12 or visit nab.com.au/merchants

*The Annual Report on China Outbound Tourism (2015) published by the China Tourism Academy