Chinese visitor numbers on the rise Chinese tourists are visiting Australia in greater numbers despite the strong local currency. One in four visitors to Australia came from Asia in 2012. The biggest growth came from China, with Visa data showing an 11.6 per cent credit card spending rise in Australia last year. British tourists, however, flashed the plastic the most, but spent 6.9 per cent less than in the previous year. The United States came second, with spending up 4.8 per cent, even as the Australian dollar held parity with the greenback. New Zealanders came third, with spending levels rising 4.7 per cent. Visa's Australia manager Vipin Kalra said the strong currency didn't appear to be a deterrent for overseas tourists. "Tourism is a huge contributor to the Australian economy and this growth comes despite ongoing concerns about the high Australian dollar," he said. Overseas Visa cardholders spent $4.8 billion in Australia last year, a 0.3 per cent increase, with $1.2 billion or a quarter from Asia. Australians are also visiting Asia more, with credit card spending by Australians rising by 5.7 per cent in Thailand, 5.3 per cent in Singapore and 1.9 per cent in Indonesia. But they spent less elsewhere, with transactions falling by 14.9 per cent in Italy, 11.5 per cent in the UK and 5.8 per cent in the US.