Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on June 17 that China will include Australia in the list of unilateral visa-free countries. Li made the remarks during a joint press meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The search for "China" tours online among Australians soared significantly following the announcement that China will include Australia in the list of unilateral visa-free countries. Within half an hour after the news was released, China's global travel service provider Trip.com saw search figures, with China as the keyword, from Australian tourists surge 80 percent from a day earlier.

Australia is China's No 5 inbound tourist source market this year, based on Trip.com statistics, with relevant inbound tourism orders growing 155 percent in 2024 from the same period last year, it said. At the same time, the number of flights from Australia to China has soared 220 percent from a year earlier.

Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Xiamen, Nanjing and Xi'an are popular destinations for Australian travelers, according to Trip.com. With the summer vacation just around the corner, the average airfare for flights between Australia and China has dropped by almost 30% year-on-year.

Since last year, China has granted unilateral visa-free entry to multiple countries. As of now, China has implemented unilateral visa-free policies for countries such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. China also signed the mutual visa exemption agreement with Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Georgia.