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Australian gov't considers radical plan to include Mandarin translations on road signs

Xinhua, December 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Australian road signs could soon be translated into Mandarin in a move to attract more Chinese tourists, and make it easier for the growing number of "self-drive" Chinese tourists to find their way around the country.

The radical proposal is being pushed by Federal Tourism Minister Richard Colbeck who wants to follow the lead of Melbourne's Chinatown - where Mandarin translations are already seen on restaurant boards - and see road signs feature the language as well.

Colbeck said on Thursday that the initiative was important because Australia needed to make the most of the tourist boom.

"With China being one of our most important markets, we need to make sure we service it properly," he told the Australian Associated Press.

Chinese tourists spent one billion U.S. dollars in Victoria alone in 2014, more than any other nationality, with that number expected to more than double by 2020.

Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Margie Osmond said making it easier for Chinese travelers to get around Australia was a top priority.

"China represents our largest tourist market now and it's really important the new breed of Chinese visitor, who likes to get in the car and drive, has got signs in a language they can understand," she said.

Kevin Xu, who is the Director of GrandCity Travel, the largest Chinese tourism agency in Australia, said the proposal may not be such a good thing as it could decrease the number of visitors using travel companies to plan their trips.

"My opinion is, don't encourage people, the Chinese people, to private drive," Xu told Seven News.

The Tourism Research Australia (TRA) found the number of Chinese travelers shunning the traditional tour buses has grown 186 percent in the past decade as they are planning their itineraries on the internet.

TRA said the country experienced a 22-percent increase in Chinese tourists and a 43-percent rise in their expenditure in the year ending September 2015. Endit