Whale watching a magnet for Chinese visitors

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As Australia's whale-watching season draws to a close, tourists are scrambling to get a last glimpse of the majestic creatures.

The China-Australia Year of Tourism, launched by governments of the two countries at the beginning of 2017, has lifted the number of incoming Chinese visitors down under and according to Matt Cross, general manager of the Dolphin Watch Cruises, many of them are eager for the chance to encounter marine life in the wild.

Over the past decade an upsurge in visitors from around the world has seen local tourism operators thrive.

Cross told Xinhua that he's been chasing the spectacular animals in Jervis Bay (200 km south of Sydney) for almost three decades.

"Traditionally 15 years ago it was 100 percent domestic (traffic)," he said.

Whale watching is a popular pastime. / Whales Forever Photo

But an influx of tourists from "North Asia and Chinese mainland" has delivered a huge windfall for the local industry.

"China has some magnificent rivers and some really big mountains," Cross noted. "But China doesn't have the dolphins and the whales that Jervis Bay has every day and the mixture of the blue sky, crystal clear water, and wildlife in Jervis Bay is a fantastic tourism recipe for the people of China."

"Coming from the big cities of Asia, the moment the whale jumps into the sky is like, 'Oh my god!' it's amazing!" Crossed exclaimed.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency