ADELAIDE, May 14 (Xinhua) -- In Adelaide, a coastal capital better known for its festivals and wine, the global tourism industry has briefly taken center stage as Australia's largest B2B tourism event engages market players worldwide.
From May 10 to 14, the 46th Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), hosted by Tourism Australia, brought together global buyers and Australian sellers in the tourism industry. Behind the crowded aisles and packed schedules lies something more fundamental: a tourism relationship between Australia and China regaining momentum, and related services quietly recalibrating for its next phase of growth.
STRONG CHINA PRESENCE
The ATE this year is marked by the sheer visibility of Chinese buyers.
Across the exhibition floor, Mandarin can be heard frequently. Representatives from Chinese travel agencies, bespoke tour operators and online platforms moved briskly between tightly scheduled meetings, negotiating itineraries, prices and partnerships with Australian suppliers.
Their presence is not marginal. Of the roughly 730 buyer companies from 32 countries and regions attending the event, more than 140 are from China, second only to domestic buyers. Over the four-day program, a total of 55,000 appointments are expected to take place.
For industry insiders, the message is straightforward: China is back, and confidence is returning.
At the booth of the Sydney Opera House, one of the country's most recognizable icons, meetings are running at full capacity. According to Shirley Zhou, business development manager at the Sydney Opera House, the Chinese buyers account for roughly 65 to 70 percent of their scheduled appointments during the event.
"China has always been among our top 2 markets, both in visitor numbers and revenue," she said. "We value every opportunity to reconnect with Chinese partners."
She mentioned the Marketplace China event held by Tourism Australia, which she attended in Xi'an last November, as well as the recent event held by Tourism New South Wales focused on China. She noted that the Sydney Opera House values every opportunity to interact with Chinese partners.
Wildlife attractions are seeing similar trends. At Zoos Victoria, more than a quarter of meeting requests during ATE have come from Chinese buyers.
"China is currently our third-largest market," said Business Development Manager Stephen Peppard, adding that Chinese visitors are highly valued. "We enjoy hosting the Chinese visitors. They love the animals and are great visitors."
SHIFTING TRAVEL PATTERN
That cooperation is already visible in changing travel patterns.
According to Wan Qin, vice general manager of Outbound Travel Company in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, demand for traveling to Australia among Chinese consumers is steadily recovering, helped in part by improved visa facilitation. But the nature of that demand is shifting. Group sizes are shrinking from groups of 20 to 30 travelers in the past to around 10 to 16 today, while demand for customized and semi-independent travel is rising rapidly.
At the same time, traditional group tours have not disappeared, and niche segments are expanding, including student travel during school holidays and trips tailored for senior tourists, Wan added.
"Australia has always been seen as a safe and welcoming destination, with a mature tourism industry," Wan said. "That remains a strong advantage."
For companies focusing on high-end travel, the shift is even more pronounced.
Zhu Chengyu, who runs a Chongqing-based agency specializing in bespoke itineraries, said Chinese travelers are increasingly seeking personalization rather than standard packages.
"People now get a lot of information from social media and want experiences that reflect their own interests," he said while moving between supplier booths. "That means we have to constantly adapt our products."
At Taronga Zoo Sydney, Tourism Sales and Trade Engagement Manager Monika Townsend said that the era of quick, checklist-style visits by large tour groups is giving way to longer, more immersive experiences.
"China markets evolved a lot," she said, "It might have been very large groups coming into Taronga and only staying half an hour or forty minutes to now being much smaller family groups."
Chinese travelers are now very interested in spending more time to immerse themselves, which suits the zoo really well, she said, welcoming Chinese visitors to do tours and immerse themselves in the wildlife retreat there.
EVOLVING SERVICES
Australian tourism operators, for their part, are responding quickly.
Wan attended a closed-door session with senior Tourism Australia officials on the opening day. She said the level of attention given to Chinese buyers was unmistakable.
"They are listening very carefully, from how the market has changed, what challenges we face, to where the opportunities are," Wan said.
Noting the significance of the Chinese market, Nick Henderson, regional general manager of Greater China at Tourism Australia, said that the broad return of Chinese buyers this year reflects a rebuilding of trust and momentum.
"We are all about giving our Chinese travelers a wonderful experience that they'll remember for a lifetime," he said. "So we need to have those exchanges between buyers and sellers on a regular basis to make that happen. It's great for the sellers to learn more about the Chinese market so that they can have better cooperation with the buyers."
The energy on the exhibition floor mirrors the overall growth momentum of Chinese tourism to Australia. Data show that China was Australia's second-largest source of international visitors in 2025. In the 12 months to March 2026, arrivals from the Chinese mainland reached 1.12 million, up 21 percent year on year, the fastest growth among major markets.
Aviation capacity has recovered even more quickly, with total seat supply this year expected to slightly exceed pre-pandemic levels, laying the groundwork for further expansion.
Tourism flows are also increasingly two-way. More than 690,000 Australians visited China in 2025, making it one of their most popular overseas destinations.
Haven Glebe, a Sydney-based hotel participating in ATE for the first time, has already exceeded expectations, receiving close to 80 buyer visits, with Chinese companies making up about one-third.
General Manager Winnie Ho of the hotel said she sees strong growth potential ahead. "With improvements in infrastructure such as airports, travel between China and Australia is becoming more convenient. That will lead to more diverse demand." ■