Corporate Travel News For Asia

Destination New South Wales (NSW) tourism and event agency appointed (17-Jul-2017) Celine Dong as business development manager for Shanghai, effective immediately. Ms Dong will be responsible for building relationships with airlines, travel trade partners, wholesalers, retailers and online agents, to increase the awareness and sales of NSW tourism destinations and products in Eastern China. NSW welcomed more than 700,000 Chinese visitors in the year ended Mar-2017, contributing AUD3 billion (USD2.34 billion) in tourism spending. [more - original PR]

Tourism Australia reported (17-Jul-2017) visitor arrivals to Australia rose 7% in May-2017. Details include:

• Visitor arrivals: 579,100, +6.8% year-on-year;
  • New Zealand: 104,800, -0.1%;
  • China: 79,300, +11.1%;
  • US: 50,200, +8.4%;
  • Singapore: 38,000, +4.7%;
  • UK: 30,600, +2.7%. [more - original PR]

Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) reported (14-Jul-2017) Australian Overseas Arrival Data shows China is set to overtake New Zealand for the first time as Australia's biggest source of international visitors "within months if current trends continue". TTF also stated that the "incredible" resurgence of travellers from the US to Australia "continues to be this year's surprise success story". [more - original PR]

Singapore Airlines plans to replace A380 with Boeing 777-300ER equipment on one daily Singapore-Melbourne frequency, effective 01-Oct-2017 to 24-Mar-2018 (Airline Route, 14-Jul-2017). The airline will operate the route three times weekly with A330-300, daily with A350-900 and three times daily with 777-300ER aircraft, effective 29-Oct-2017 to 30-Nov-2017. The carrier also operates A380 equipment on Singapore-Sydney service, according to OAG.

Virgin Australia launched its first inflight duty free service on the Melbourne-Hong Kong route (The Moodie Davitt Report, 13-Jul-2017). Virgin Australia's launched Melbourne-Hong Kong on 05-Jul-2017, with the new duty free service already available.

Western Australia Government, via Tourism WA, welcomed (12-Jul-2017) China Southern Airlines' announcement to increase Guangzhou-Perth frequency to five times weekly from 29-Oct-2017. China Southern currently operates four times weekly on the route, which is the only nonstop route between Perth and China. WA Government Acting Premier Roger Cook stated: "China is a vital tourism market for WA with Chinese visitors spending AUD271 million (USD208 million) in the year ending Mar-2017, an increase of 13% on the previous year, making it our second biggest market in that regard. To attract more Chinese visitors and boost visitor spend, increasing aviation access to the State is the key". [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II]

Philippines' Department of Tourism route development group head Erwin F Balane, speaking on CAPA TV, said (Jun-2017) the Department will promote destinations other than Manila in the Australian market with the aim to convince airlines to commence services to new cities. Australia is the Philippines' fifth largest market for arrivals. [more - CAPA TV]

China Southern Airlines plans to launch three times weekly Guangzhou-Cairns service on 13-Dec-2017, operating with A330-200 aircraft, as per a 10-Jul-2017 GDS inventory and timetable display.

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson stated the number of Chinese tourists arriving into Australia is growing at 18% p/a (CNBC, 06-Jul-2017). Sir Richard added as Australia's "number two airline", it would be a mistake not to expand into China.

Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti stated the new Hong Kong service is the "spearhead of our Asian expansion", "the greater China is the future for us" (CNBC, 06-Jul-2017). Mr Borghetti said the carrier aims to raise frequency between Melbourne and Hong Kong to daily "as quickly as possible…before expanding into" other destinations in Australia such as Brisbane and Sydney.