Australia's themed pavilion is displayed at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing on September 10, 2025. Photo: Li Hao/GT

China's streamlined visa policies and broader market opening are creating fresh momentum for two-way tourism with Australia, Nick Henderson, Country manager of China, Tourism Australia, said in an exclusive interview with the Global Times during the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

CIFTIS runs in Beijing from Wednesday to September 14, with Australia serving as guest country of honor. 

Nearly 60 Australian organizations and companies are taking part this year, according to Austrade, highlighting the importance of China's market in tourism, education, and beyond.

China has markedly expanded the openness of the market by introducing visa facilitation measures, making it easier for international travelers to come to China, Henderson told the Global Times on Thursday. "This encourages more travelers to experience the best that China has to offer and will help develop the services sector in the Chinese economy."

Nick Henderson, Country manager of China, Tourism Australia, in an exclusive interview with the Global Times during the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) on September 11. Photo: Chen Qingrui/GT

The remarks come as China keeps stepping up efforts to streamline entry rules. 

As of July 30, China has introduced unilateral visa-free entry and mutual visa exemption agreements with 75 countries. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the number of countries eligible for visa-free transit rose to 55, with access through 60 entry ports across 24 provincial-level regions, and the permitted stay for visa-free transit has been extended to 240 hours, according to the National Immigration Administration.

For Australia, China has been one of the most important source markets for travelers, Henderson said. 

Travel encourages people-to-people exchange, which covers family, friends, business and so on. As the visa policy makes travel easier, whether to China or to Australia, it strengthens people-to-people connections, he told the Global Times.

Efforts to boost the cultural and tourism markets, as well as people-to-people exchanges, are a two-way endeavor between the two countries. Tourism Australia is stepping up promotions. 

One of the main programs that we have is our global brand campaign "Come and Say G'day." It aims to tell Australian stories to share travel experiences, to inspire Chinese people to know more about Australia, and hopefully think about Australia when their next planning their holiday and the whole campaign is about welcoming Chinese travelers to Australia, Henderson noted.

Visa processing in Australia has become more efficient as the country adopt an electronic visa process. Henderson said that Australia adopts an electronic visa process, with applications submitted online and normally processed within five to ten working days once requirements are met.

Henderson noted that CIFTIS offered Tourism Australia a valuable platform to connect with both existing and future partners, given the central role of tourism in Australia's services economy. 

In July this year, Tourism Australia signed a memorandum of understanding with Trip.com Group, one of the world's largest travel service providers, to jointly promote Australia as a preferred destination for Chinese and other key Asian source markets, according to the Australian Embassy in China.

In terms of total spending, China remained Australia's largest tourism market, with Chinese visitors spending 9.2 billion Australian dollars ($6.16 billion) in the 12 months to March 2025, data from the Australian Embassy in China showed.

Henderson noted the recovery in Chinese arrivals. " During the twelve-month period from July 2024 to June 2025, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Australia reached 952,000. Compared to the previous year, the growth rate is 19 percent, making it the fastest-growing international market for inbound tourism in Australia. And we're seeing that the growth is really, really quite steady and more and more Chinese travelers are really excited about traveling to Australia and choosing Australia as their holiday destination," he said.

As of July 30 this year, China has introduced unilateral visa-free entry and mutual visa exemption agreements with 75 countries as part of its efforts to streamline visa rules and promote international exchange, an immigration official announced at a press conference, per Xinhua News Agency.