Hong Kong Airlines leaders and Jackie Chan visit Gold Coast to boost China and Glitter Strip visitations
WHAT does martial arts superstar Jackie Chan and the Gold Coast have in common? One of the world’s biggest airlines wants to bring the two together.
Entertainment
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MARTIAL arts superstar Jackie Chan has been recruited to entice more Chinese to the Gold Coast and triple the number of locals visiting Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Airlines’ new chief marketing officer George Liu used a visit to the Gold Coast yesterday to reveal the Rush Hour and Rumble in the Bronx actor would be the airline’s next ambassador.
The airline began flying to the Gold Coast in March 2016 and the route has been declared a success but Mr Liu said Chan would spearhead a fresh move to increase two-way traffic between the cities.
“We are doing quite well in this market and are seeing about 70 per cent capacity of visitors on our flights here from mainland China and Hong Kong,” Mr Liu said.
“There is huge market potential from now on to perhaps double or triple the outbound market (from the Gold Coast) into China.
“Absolutely we see this as a market that can grow.”
Earlier this year the Gold Coast was named China’s fourth most popular Western destination in a poll of 3.6 million tourists.
Chan is a Hong Kong native who has strong links to Australia where his late parents lived for 40 years.
The worldwide ad campaign will be launched in coming weeks and feature Chan flying across the world on Hong Kong Airlines.
Mr Liu said he was excited about the campaign and said the door was open for Mr Chan to visit the city.
“Maybe one day he will come out here (to the Gold Coast) on one of our flights for a visit,” he said.
Mr Lieu and a delegation from the airline are meeting tourism and civic leaders as well as airport bosses and travel agents on the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan met with Mr Liu and said he was excited at the prospect of growing the Chinese visitor market for the city.
The airline’s Gold Coast route, which includes a stop in Cairns, proved so successful the initial trial became a permanent fixture.
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