Victoria Spends $43 Million on Campaign to Attract Chinese Tourists and Students

Premier Jacinta Allan says she wants one in five international visitors to Victoria to come from China.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan speaks to media during a press conference at Victorian Parliament in Melbourne, Australia, on June 19, 2025. AAP Image/Diego Fedele

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan will spend $43 million on a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign to lure more tourists from China to Victoria.

This marks Allan’s third trip to the one-party communist nation and her first as Premier of Victoria.

Her visit comes just two weeks after former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews was photographed with Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Chinese Communist Party military parade.

The premier said she was launching the new tourism blitz to encourage “more Chinese people to visit Victoria.”

The Every Bit Different campaign will run across social media platforms and billboards in China, highlighting Victoria’s wildlife, culture, dining, sport, and events.

“China is our biggest international visitor market,” she said in Beijing on Sept. 15. “We want one in every five international visitors to Victoria to come from China ... because more visitors means more jobs.”

She was joined in Shanghai by actor and singer Wu Chun to promote the campaign, posting photos of the launch on social media.

Tourism Push

The government said China was Victoria’s biggest international tourism market, with 411,000 visitors pouring $2.9 billion into the state in the year to March 2025.

Minister for Tourism Steve Dimopoulos talked up Victoria’s credentials in sport, the arts, and food.

“We’re the major events capital, the sporting capital, the live music capital, and the culinary capital of Australia, and we’re showcasing the best of Victoria to a massive audience in China,” he said.

Visit Victoria Chief Executive Officer Brendan McClements added, “This investment will have a profound impact on our visitor economy, because destination marketing builds awareness and creates demand for our hotels, restaurants, and small businesses across Victoria.”