Hainan Airlines have confirmed they will be increasing inbound traffic to Cairns by 50% in January, with over a thousand extra seats for the 2020 Chinese New Year season.
Cairns Airport Aviation Chief Commercial Officer Luis Perez said this was very welcome news in the current climate where Chinese airlines are continuing to reduce capacity into Australia, operating 4% fewer seats during 2019 compared to 2018.
“This is great news for Cairns given the softening demand from China and the announcement from some airlines that they are pulling routes from China.
“Cairns Airport is continuing to work with Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) and Tourism and Events Queensland to attract airlines from China and other
“We have aviation growth from Singapore with SilkAir network increasing to daily flights in June 2019 and look forward to more capacity with their upcoming shift to the Singapore Airlines
Hainan Airlines, General Manager Australia Herbert Hu said the additional flights has been allocated based on the strong passenger demand for Cairns during the Chinese New Year, between 1 - 31
“We are extremely excited to bring more Chinese visitors from all over China to enjoy the beautiful city of Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest and everything else the regions offers, “ Mr Hu said.
TTNQ Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen said “Chinese want to come to Cairns to experience the Great Barrier Reef and the world’s oldest rainforest especially at Chinese New Year when our community’s strong Chinese heritage is on show with the New Year celebrations.”
“There continues to be strong and consistent marketing of Queensland in China, with Tourism and Events Queensland currently celebrating ‘Queensland month’ in Chengdu, having launched a food and drink campaign ‘Taste the State’ encouraging Chinese visitors to experience our unique food experiences.”
TEQ and TTNQ recently hosted high-profile content creators from China in the region last month, as part of GoPro’s global launch of the GoPro Max. They will share their images of Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef to a worldwide audience of over five million people.
“TEQ have also recently launched a family-focused campaign with Chinese agents, promoting the educational benefits of a Great Barrier Reef holiday.”
“The Chinese will find it easier to spend their holiday yuan when they arrive in Cairns with many local businesses adding Chinese payment systems after a 12-month educational campaign run by Tourism and Events Queensland together with TTNQ in the region.”
The Year of the Rat will start on January 25 our Australia Day long weekend, a popular getaway period for domestic travellers from China.
“In February TTNQ will launch the region’s new brand story to the domestic market with exciting images and marketing collateral showcasing our welcoming destination where two World Heritage areas meet”.