Record numbers for Chinese tourists in Australia

Chinese visitor arrivals in Australia reached a record of 1 million in 2015, spending more than A$7.7 billion ($5.34 billion) in the country.

China continues to be the fastest growing major source market for Australia, with a year-on-year growth of 21.6 percent in 2015, Australian Bureau of Statistics released on Thursday.

Chinese visitor arrivals in Australia have increased from 100,000 in 2000 to 1 million in 2015, with an average annual growth rate of 18 percent since 2010, according to the bureau.

Chinese expenses in Australia have increased by more than 400 percent in the past 10 years, from A$1.5 billion in 2005 to A$7.7 billion in 2015.

"Recently implemented government measures, such as opening a new Australia Visa Allocation Center in Chengdu as well as China and streamlining visa application processes, made it easier for Chinese residents to visit Australia," said Senator Richard Colbeck, Australia's Minister for Tourism and International Education.