Fact Sheet 58 - China: Approved Destination Status
On this page
The Approved Destination Status (ADS) scheme facilitates the travel of organised tour groups from the People's Republic of China (PRC) to Australia.
The ADS scheme provides streamlined travel opportunities for Chinese tour groups, whilst ensuring that the integrity of Australia's visitor visa program is maintained.
Background
The ADS scheme is a bilateral tourism arrangement established in 1999 between the Chinese Government and the Australian Government – recognising the increasing interest in visiting Australia shown by Chinese people.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) manages the ADS scheme with the assistance of the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET) and Tourism Australia.
Australian agents
There are 52 Australian agents who have been approved by the Minister to
participate in the ADS scheme. Special safeguards are in place to ensure
visa holders comply with their visa conditions and that the Australian ADS
agents help maintain the integrity of the scheme.
These include:
- ADS visa holders have to stay with their tour group; and are prevented from working or studying, or extending the length of their visa while in Australia
- the ADS Code of Business Standards and Ethics, which agents must abide by and if they fail to meet the levels of professionalism required, they may be sanctioned
- departmental monitoring of every tour group to make sure it departs Australia in accordance with its itinerary. If any member fails to abide by the visa conditions or leave Australia their agent must notify the department within 48 hours
- a separate departmental sanction scheme which involves an assessment of each absconder incident. If an Australian or PRC agent has too many tourists abscond from ADS tours under their management, they may face suspension from the scheme.
Chinese agents
There are 88 Chinese travel agents participating in the ADS scheme. The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) regulates the operations of travel agents in China. The department has specific responsibility for the operations of the ADS scheme in China. Both the department and CNTA can impose sanctions on those who do not meet the required standards.
In December 2007 the department introduced the Poor Practice Sanctions Regime in response to concerns about poor administrative practices by many agents and some instances of fraudulent material being submitted with applications. Under the regime agents can face penalties, ranging from warnings to increased processing times to suspension from the scheme.
Statistics
The first ADS visitors arrived in Australia in August 1999. As of 30 June 2009, almost 500 000 ADS visa holders had visited Australia.
In 2008-09, 85 482 people arrived on ADS visas compared with 94 503 in 2007-08 and 81 495 in 2006-07.
The ADS non-return rate for 2008-09 was 0.16 per cent compared to a global visitor non-return rate of 1.27 per cent.
More information
For further information about the ADS scheme, please contact the ADS mailbox in the Visitors Section.
Email: ads@immi.gov.au
Additional information about the ADS scheme can also be found on the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET) website.
See: www.ret.gov.au
Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au
The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.
Fact Sheet 58. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Last reviewed 18 August 2009.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2009.