Rising Chinese visitors heading into the Far North. Image: Kuranda Tour Addon - Birdworld

The Far North has welcomed a record number of Chinese travellers this year, exceeding 100,000 for the first time.

According to a local survey, up to 102,075 Chinese arrivals landed in the Far North for the year ending 30 September, a 38 percent increase year-on-year, Cairns.com.au reported.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Rob Gaison said the increase ascertained the region’s popularity amongst Chinese travellers and expects China Eastern’s recently launched direct flights to further entice arrivals.

Despite a weak-Japan route resulting from last year’s quake, Japanese arrivals into Cairns increased slightly by one percent over the same period from 91,141 to 91,746, while American visitors increased by 6,426 to 79,977.