Aussies challenge the status quo
Australians are becoming more savvy when they’re on the road, with an increasing hunger for new and authentic experiences which go beyond the main tourist track in China. Aussies are intrigued by China, with recent figures from the China National Tourism Administration showing that 720,000 Australians visited the country’s shores in 2013. Wholesalers are also reporting that Aussies are becoming more adventurous when planning their travels. Wendy Wu Tours managing director Alan Alcock says Australian travellers are becoming more selective when visiting the land of the rising sun, favouring lesser known regions once they’ve experienced the BeijingShanghai-xian triangle. Emerging destinations that appeal to Australians include the Sichuan Province, Three Gorges and Yangtze River, Yunnan, or the Nine Villages Valley, he says, adding that a number of areas are also opening up including ancient towns such as Pingyao. Helen Wong’s Tours managing director Helen Wong agrees that Sichuan Province and Jiuzhaigou are increasingly popular, along with river cruising on the Yangtze River. Meanwhile, Adventure World managing director Fiona Hunt says today’s travellers are seeking curated experiences tailored to their own interests. “Instead of just hearing or reading about the ancient culture, they want to visit villages where these traditions remain preserved,” she says. Trafalgar managing director Matt CameronSmith echoed Hunt’s calls, claiming that Aussies are no longer looking to tick off a bucket list of sights: “Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai remain perennially popular with Aussies, however more authentic experiences are emerging in each of these cities.”