The Avalon routes most likely to unlock the region

The possibility of flights to Vietnam from Avalon is still up in the air, but an update has been given about the level of interest in the flight path.

Travel-starved Australians want Avalon Airport to expand the number of destinations it flies to, with exclusive new data revealing the most desired locations.

Data, collated through mapping tools Spendmapp and Localis, shows the three most searched for destinations for inbound flights to Avalon were Brisbane, Perth and Auckland.

Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine chief executive officer Brett Ince said further data showed the destinations with the highest number of outbound flight searches from Avalon were Adelaide, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

He said Auckland and Brisbane also had “strong outbound potential”.

“This is real time data that shows that people are searching to fly to Avalon as a destination and to visit the region,” Mr Ince said.

He said the data also showed the majority of people who wanted to visit this region were from Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

“We have flown to some of those destinations (previously),” Mr Ince said.

“When you look at our region, it is such a strong visiting friends and relatives market.

“That has been more and more obvious over the last few months as people have been able to get out.”

The airport’s domestic flights have recently been scaled back and it is currently waiting for new airline Bonza, which will operate to and from Sunshine Coast, to arrive.

A Geelong Advertiser survey of readers, conducted in July, found that of 334 responses – some with multiple destinations – Hobart was the most popular travel spot, receiving 67 mentions.

New Zealand has long been flagged as a potential route for Avalon, with the airport’s previous chief executive officer Justin Giddings saying it was a “targeted destination”.

“New Zealand would be an awesome destination and it is one of the most requested destinations we have,” Mr Giddings said in 2020.

The International Visitor Survey, for March 2020 quarter, shows New Zealand (15.9 per cent) was the largest source of market of visitors for the region, followed by China (13.6 per cent) and the UK (10 per cent).

Avalon was approached for comment but declined.

Why Vietnam could be a billion dollar opportunity

Avalon Airport is currently without a secured international airline after AirAsia, which signed a 10-year deal with the airport four years ago, announced it was moving back to Tullamarine Airport.

The Geelong Advertiser also revealed Avalon Airport is working on commercial terms to start flights to and from Vietnam but will face stiff competition from other Australian airports.

Vietnamese carrier Vietjet showed interest in flying between Avalon and Ho Chi Minh City in 2019.

At the time Vietjet’s vice-chairman said the airline was interested in flying to Avalon because it could have its pick of when to fly in.

“It’s very difficult to get slots at Melbourne Airport. At Avalon it’s easy for passengers to fly in and to connect (to other services),” Nguyen Thanh Hung said.

Recently a Vietjet spokesman told the Addy: “As we are working on the services’ details, we will get back to you with an official announcement soon.”

Asian tourists arrive at Avalon International Airport via Air Asia. Picture: Alison Wynd

Victorian Commissioner to Southeast Asia Rebecca Hall who overseas the state government’s trade and investment office in Ho Chi Minh City said two-way trade between Vietnam and Victoria was $2.8bn in 2021 and had grown by an average of 10 per cent annually since 2016.

“The Trade and Investment Office in Ho Chi Minh City is helping Victorian exporters make the most of the opportunities in Vietnam by providing them with market insights and connections with potential partners and suppliers,” Ms Hall said.

“The Ho Chi Minh City office also supports education institutions to connect with existing and prospective students through the Study Melbourne Hub, which has supported more than 1,000 students in its first six months of operation.”

From January to May this year there were 6,986 students from Vietnam studying with Victorian education and training providers and were enrolled in management, commerce, IT, health and engineering courses.

The government’s trade office has worked with more than 50 Victorian exporters since opening which led a dairy formula manufacturer securing $6.5m worth of exports across the next three years.

Demand for imported goods from Victoria in Vietnam ranges from dairy, meat and consumer goods.

Meanwhile Garuda Indonesia, the parent company of Citilink which operated flights between Bali and Avalon Airport between January and March 2020, did not respond to questions asking its intention to restart flights on the route.

Sources have told the Addy the Citilink was hit hard by the pandemic and is focusing on regenerating its domestic network.

The government was working closely with Avalon Airport on opportunities to attract international carriers, and grow its domestic operation, its spokesman said.

Originally published as The Avalon routes most likely to unlock the region