Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Farrell. Recently, we have taken some significant and important steps in stabilising our relationship with China and removing some of the trade impediments that were hurting Australian businesses across a range of industries, including coal, timber and barley. In regions like tropical North Queensland, the slow return of visitors from China has held back the full recovery of the region's tourism industry. Can the minister please update the Senate on any progress towards the recovery of Chinese tourism to Australia, particularly the regions?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Green for her question, and I note that she is a very passionate supporter of the tourism industry in tropical North Queensland and right across the sunshine state. It's been an eventful week on the trade front. As a result of the hard work by the government and industry, Australian barley growers can now re-enter the Chinese market. It's good news for, obviously, our agricultural sector, but it's equally good news for Chinese beer drinkers. But that is not all. About five minutes ago, the Chinese government announced Australia's re-inclusion on the Approved Destination Status outbound group travel scheme, known as ADS. This—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Senator Watt, slapping the desk is particularly disorderly.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! Minister Farrell.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is very welcome news for our tourism industry, because it means group tours from China will soon be returning to Australia in great numbers. Based on the pre-pandemic trends, this means hundreds of thousands of additional visitors each year, who will collectively spend more than half a billion dollars each year in Australia. The Chinese government suspended the ADS scheme globally in late 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Until now, Australia had not been re-included in China's list of approved destinations—

I know you don't like this good news for Queensland, Senator Canavan, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Until now, Australia had not been re-included in China's approved list of destinations for a pilot resumption of the ADS. We welcome our inclusion, and we welcome Chinese group tour visitors back to Australia, including in Queensland, where you come from, Senator Canavan. China's inclusion of Australia in its ADS scheme—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. I remind you, when you are answering, to direct your comments to the chair. Senator Green, first supplementary?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is fantastic news for tourism, particularly in regional Queensland. Can the minister outline for the Senate the value of the Chinese market to Australia's visitor economy and what further recovery of visitation from China will mean for Australian tourism businesses?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Green for her first supplementary question. Yes, I can give you an answer to that question. Pre-pandemic, China was Australia's largest and most valuable inbound tourism market. In 2019, Australia received nearly 1.5 million short-term visitors from China. More than a quarter of a million of them were holiday-makers who travelled to Australia on the ADS scheme. Those ADS travellers spent more than half a billion dollars across Australia in 2019. The return of Chinese group tour travellers is particularly important in certain regions. This includes tropical North Queensland—did you hear that, Senator Canavan?—and some of our most iconic tourism drawcards. For example, the Sydney Opera House previously received large numbers of ADS travellers— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We'll wait for silence before I call Senator Green.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order, Senator Colbeck! Order! Senator Green, second supplementary?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The mind boggles as to why anyone would oppose such fantastic news. Can the minister update the Senate on what the government has been doing to ensure demand for an Australian holiday remained high in China during the suspension of the scheme?

Honourable senat ors interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order across the chamber! Senator Canavan, I've called you a number of times, as I have you, Senator Colbeck.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Green for her second supplementary question. The global Come and Say G'day campaign was officially launched in China by Tourism Australia on 29 June 2023.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ayres and Senator Canavan, those interjections across the chamber are disorderly! The minister is speaking.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan obviously doesn't like good news in the tourism industry. In just over a month since it was launched in China, there have been—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Senator Canavan! Minister, please continue.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In just over a month since it was launched in China, there have been 66 million views of the short film, more than 1,350 media reports and around $22 million in earned advertising value. Following China's announcement today, the Australian government can prioritise the steps needed to facilitate the return of ADS travellers from China as soon as possible. The Australian tourism industry is passionate, resilient and hardworking, unlike the coalition. Today's announcement will be welcomed by the industry as they continue to build the ongoing recovery of the sector. (Time expired)