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Australia not prepared for Chinese tourist boom

Xinhua, September 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Australia is not prepared for a boom of Chinese tourists due to its tourism capacity limitation as well as complex visa procedures, Matt Bekier, boss of Echo Entertainment, one of Australia's largest gaming and entertainment group said on Wednesday.

A new wave of affluent Chinese tourists are not coming to Australia because of a lack of high-end hotels, tourist transport and foreign language skills, but more because of complex tourist visa procedures, local media quoted Bekier as telling an American Chamber of Commerce lunch here on Wednesday.

"We're number one in terms where they[Chinese tourists] want to go but we're only number 15 in terms of where they actually go," Bekier said.

Australia's immigration rules say Chinese tourists wishing to visit Australia must apply for a tourist visa before arriving into Australia and provide evidence they can afford their stay. Endi