Melbourne set for $1 billion tourism boost as Chinese group tour scheme returns
Melbourne is set to gain a $1 billion boost in tourism as part of a new initiative designed to promote Chinese tour groups through the Approved Destination Status (ADS) travel program.
Chinese visitors play a significant role in Australia’s tourism market spending $3.3 billion in Melbourne in 2019 alone.
The Australian Government announced in 2023 that it would resume visa processing for ADS group tours from China, signalling a positive step toward revitalising the market.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece announced the initiative on September 30 alongside Victorian Tourism and Industry Council CEO Felicia Mariani, Collins Street Business Precinct Association president Luke Harris and the general managers of Le Meridian Hotel and Grand Hyatt Hotel.
The move follows Lord Mayor Nick Reece's visit to China last year, marking the first local government representative to make the trip since 2019.
Cr Reece has since worked closely with the Chinese Consulate-General to advocate for the return of group tours, aiming to enhance tourism relations between Australia and China.
“The resumption of Chinese group tour travel to Melbourne is incredibly exciting and could deliver up to a $1 billion boost to our tourism, retail, and hospitality sectors in our city,” Cr Reece said.
This is great news for Melbourne’s hard-working tourism operators and the many local businesses that benefit from tourism from China.
Before the pandemic, group tours were a popular choice for Chinese travellers, accounting for around 30 per cent of the leisure travel market to Australia.
In 2019, Chinese tourists made up 38 per cent of all international overnight spending in Melbourne, with 664,000 visitors staying a total of 17.3 million nights in the city.
“As Lord Mayor, I have been advocating strongly for the return of Chinese group tours and working with industry to ensure we are well positioned to welcome back group tours,” Cr Reece said.
The ADS program allows Chinese travellers to visit Australia as part of an approved tour group, with the first ADS tourists arriving in August 1999.
“We look forward to welcoming more Chinese travellers to Melbourne so they can experience everything that our city has to offer,” Cr Reece said.
“I would like to thank the Chinese Consulate-General in Melbourne, and the Consul-General Fang Xinwen, who is very supportive and pushed very hard for this.”

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