Chinese will like Sunday shopping
by: Amy Wilson-Chapman
From: The Sunday Times
July 21, 2012 5:21PM
SUNDAY trading will put WA back in the game for the lucrative Chinese tourism market, industry experts say.
The average Chinese tourist spends $5484 each time they visit Down Under.
Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive John Lee says that's $2000 more than the average tourist.
But WA gets only 3.1 per cent of Australia's $3.8 billion Chinese tourism market.
Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall said shopping was one of the essentials every destination needed to attract a variety of tourists including the Chinese.
"We are missing out on an expenditure that doesn't occur because we're not open," he said.
The other benefit of seven-day trading, which starts on August 26, was that tourism operators could now plan better itineraries for travellers, Mr Hall said. The laws would also spur the creation of new tourist attractions as business operators moved to cash in on the increased foot traffic.
"There is going to be tourism-type operations that are going to open up that haven't existed before because you couldn't operate with one of your main days closed," he said.
Mr Lee said Sunday trading would be a big win for tourism.
"Many countries offer trading virtually around the clock and visitors who come to Australia from those countries may be disappointed if they are not able to purchase essential items or shop for pleasure outside traditional business hours," he said.
Latest research from Mintel, a market research company that focuses on consumer trends, said tourist numbers of Chinese coming to Australia was only going to increase, with 60 per cent of China's middle-class heading overseas to buy luxury goods.
International visitors spent $2.3 billion shopping in Australia last year.s with Kiwis the second biggest contributor.