In addition to kangaroos, koalas, Sydney Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia also boasts a vast mysterious land, the Northern Territory, which is becoming increasingly popular for adventurous Chinese travelers, according to an Australian official.
"China is a vital emerging market for Australia," Kon Vatskalis, minister for Northern Territory tourism, said Saturday in Shenzhen when meeting travel wholesalers and trade representatives.
"Chinese visitors are increasingly contemplating holidays in Australia and over the coming years as travelers become more adventurous, the Northern Territory will become a more desirable destination."
In a bid to entice more Chinese people to visit the ancient land, the minister designated prominent Chinese travel journalist Liang Zi as the Northern Territory’s official "Friend of Tourism."
As one of a team of Chinese journalists who produced a Chinese Central Television (CCTV) documentary, "Discovery of the Mysterious Land: The Northern Territory," Liang traveled to the territory for the first time in July last year.
With 350,000 overseas travelers and 600,000 from within the country, the territory raked in 1.2 billion Australian dollars (1.12 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue from the tourism industry last year, almost half of the territory's GDP.
Vatskalis said more than 3,000 Hong Kong travelers visited the territory last year but didn't disclose the number of mainland visitors.
Known as "Outback Australia," the Northern Territory covers an area of 1,346,200 square kilometers. It has a population of 200,000 with half living in Darwin, capital of the territory.
As the territory has such diverse attractions and landscapes, Vatskalis said, it would be difficult to make recommendations, but newcomers could start with the iconic natural wonders of Kakadu National Park and Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock.
With the Aboriginal people comprising one-fourth of its population, the territory was also the easiest place to see Aboriginal culture, the minister said.
