In November last year, the United States offered Chinese tourists a 10-year multiple entry visa. This was quickly matched by Canada in March. Chinese travellers to South Korea and Indonesia are not required to apply for a visa. Japan seemed to have eased up on Chinese travellers as well issuing a record 146,000 visas for Chinese tourists - such was the demand that its consulate in Shanghai ran out of the special paper on which its visas are printed, according to a report in the Australian Financial Review.

The best Australia will do for now is to offer a three-year multiple entry visa to Chinese travellers. Trade Minister, Andrew Robb has announced that, “Chinese travellers will be able to make repeat visits to Australia with ease, with a current online visitor visa pilot extended to offer three-year, multiple entry visas to approved applicants.” Previously, visitor visas for Chinese travellers were only valid for 12 months.

"I think Australia is a slow mover compared to others," Bob Shen from Spring Tours in Shanghai told the AFR. "But I still think it [the new visa] will have a positive impact."

Mr Shen said he had been told by Australian consular officials that the number of Chinese tourists overstaying their visa had declined.

According to the AFR, previously, Chinese travellers to Australia wanting a three-year multiple entry visa needed to receive a guarantee from their travel agent. Under these new laws the guarantee is no longer required.

"Repeat visitors are an increasingly important market sector as they tend to stay for longer periods and are higher yielding in terms of their spending," Mr Robb said, "Nearly 790,000 Chinese tourists visited Australia in the year to September 2014, spending close to $5.4 billion, according to Australian government figures. Of these, nearly half were repeat visitors."

The number of Chinese tourists travelling overseas is expected to double to 200 million by 2020.

Australia is among the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists, who are attracted by the open spaces, clean air, fresh food and shopping. In the six weeks leading up to the recent Chinese New Year holiday, 124,000 tourist visas to Australia were issued, a 23 per cent increase on last year.

"Tourism and hospitality is one of Australia's great strengths. It is our largest services export – worth $30 billion in export income – and directly or indirectly employs 1 million Australians, including large numbers in regional Australia," Mr Robb said.