10 Apr, 2017

Warm Welcome for Chinese Visitors Earns Recognition for City of Adelaide  

The City of Adelaide’s innovative approach to welcoming Chinese visitors to our city has been recognised at a local government awards ceremony.

The Local Government Professionals Australia, SA Leadership Excellence Awards Program, held in Adelaide on Friday night (7 April) recognises outstanding achievement and innovation in local government.

The City of Adelaide took out the 2017 Local Government Professionals Excellence Award for excellence in local economic development for its work in readying Adelaide to take advantage of new China Southern Airlines direct flights from mainland China to Adelaide that were introduced in December 2016.

City of Adelaide CEO Mark Goldstone said the project required a “massive team effort, across Council, across the city, and in collaboration with the State Government.”

“By the time the first flight landed, Chinese visitors could use their favourite digital platform ‘WeChat’ to find out what to see and do, and where to shop and eat in Adelaide. They were able to navigate their way around the city with the help of WeChat and bilingual signage across taxis, buses, information centres, shops, restaurants and at various public places.

“Last year, South Australia received 36,000 visitors from China, contributing over $200 million to the economy. These new direct flights are expected to double the number of Chinese visitors each year.

“Council also identified and supported dozens of retail and hospitality businesses which were most relevant to these new visitors to become ‘China ready’ - over 30 are currently featured on our WeChat channel,” Mr Goldstone said.

The City of Adelaide was also a joint winner (among five councils) of the 2017 Local Excellence in Cross-Council Collaboration Award for its involvement in the Brown Hill Keswick Creek Stormwater Management Project.

The cities of Adelaide, Burnside, Mitcham, Unley and West Torrens are jointly developing and implementing a plan to mitigate the risk and reduce the potential impact of flooding from four major watercourses (Brown Hill, Keswick, Glen Osmond and Parklands Creeks) located within the areas of the five project councils.

“The works to be carried out as part of this stormwater management plan will reduce potential flood impacts by 98 per cent,” Mr Goldstone said.

Simon Latimer