China Southern to return to Cairns

China Southern to return to Cairns
By admin


The tourism industry has branded confirmation that China Southern Airlines will resume its seasonal service between Guangzhou and Cairns this year as a “welcome boost” for Far North Queensland.

Both jobs and the economy are expected to benefit from the return of the service which is the result of a concerted team effort led by the airport, according to the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF).

“Route development takes cooperation between airport operators, regional and state tourism organisations and Tourism Australia,” chief executive Ken Morrison said.

“The Federal Government has also intervened on this issue, with correspondence from the prime minister to the airline’s chairman earlier this month a useful addition to the Far North Queensland ammunition.”

A 45% increase in Chinese visitation to the region last year makes clear the need for the seasonal service, he added.

However, Morrison underlined the need for the simplification of the visitor visa process for Chinese visitors.

“Cairns does well with group tours, but would also benefit from higher-spending independent travellers who instead often go to countries with easier visa processes,” he said.

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