Life and Leisure

Put yourself on the map

By Guo Shuhan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-13 13:13

Chinese travelers envious of Ben Southall, the British man enjoying six months on the idyllic Hamilton Island, courtesy of Tourism Australia's "Best Job in the World" competition, will be pleased to learn of a new contest. The competition offers Chinese tourists the chance to enjoy the best of Australia, including the Outback and Great Barrier Reef, for free.

The competition, part of Tourism Australia's newly launched global promotion There's Nothing like Australia, is due to begin soon. It merely requires participants to share their photographs and videos capturing their travel experience in Australia along with descriptions on the website: www.nothinglikeaustralia.com.

The website features an interactive map of Australia, which incorporates personal experiences showcasing the unique and varied attractions of Australia.

At present the map, which is available in 15 languages, features 3,200 experiences from a total of 30,000 images and stories submitted by Australians. People can access the information at the campaign website or www.australia.com, Tourism Australia's official website.

Selected responses from Chinese travelers in the forthcoming contest will be added to the digital map.

Last year, more than 366,000 Chinese visitors traveled to Australia. This year, Australia received 360,000 visitors from China before May.

"We anticipate a 15-percent increase by the end of this year," says Richard Beere, executive general manager international (eastern hemisphere) of Tourism Australia.

Australia was the first Western destination to receive approval to host Chinese travel groups in 1999 and China is now the largest source of Asian travelers to Australia, which has launched a series of actions to attract Chinese tourists.

Last month, the Australian government announced a $30 million investment to market the country to Chinese travelers.

On the occasion of the Shanghai Expo, Tourism Australia's official website launched the online promotion, Through the Pavilion, Through the Country, in cooperation with QQ, the leading Chinese social network.

According to the latest Visa PATA Travel Intention Survey, more than half the Chinese mainland travelers surveyed intend to travel to Australia over the next two years.

To tip the scales in its favor, Tourism Australia has divided the tourism market into three sectors - traditional group travelers, independent travelers and the high-end market. To meet the requirements of these different travelers, the organization has arranged training programs with selected travel agencies and is strengthening its relationships with Chinese airlines.

"Australia offers a uniquely differently experience through its land, its people and its lifestyle," Beere says. "Look on the map, find your favorite place, book a visa and visit us."