Editor's Blog

Strong interest of Chinese tourists supported by the increased frequency and capacity of flights to Sydney from China is driving the boom.

The most recent National Visitor Survey has revealed a surge in tourists from China to New South Wales by 18 per cent over the previous year. China is now NSW top source of tourists. It has surpassed New Zealand.

The survey revealed that Chinese tourists stayed a total of more than 11.6 million nights and contributed $1.4 billion to the NSW economy. This was an increase of $178.5 million on the previous year.

"We expect the trend to only gain momentum in 2014 so it should be a great year for our tourism operators, as well as hotels, restaurants, retailers and taxis." said NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell.

Across Australia, Chinese arriving here for tourism, social visit and education has increased substantially whilst those arriving for employment has fallen compared to the previous year.