Flights push stepped up: Direct services from Asia on agenda

THE bid to achieve Tasmanian tourism’s holy grail – direct flights to the state from Asia – will move a step closer next week.

Hobart International Airport, a plane takes off

THE bid to achieve Tasmanian tourism’s holy grail – direct flights to the state from Asia – will move a step closer next week when Tourism Tasmania’s air access guru leads a delegation to China seeking to hammer out a deal with major regional carriers.

Premier and Tourism Minister Will Hodgman said former airline executive Hans van Pelt, whose intimate knowledge of the aviation industry was developed during time as chief executive of business-class airline OzJet and as a senior executive for regional operator Rex, will lead the mission that he said had the potential to dramatically boost tourist numbers from a lucrative travel market.

FLIGHTS TO CHINA READY FOR TAKE-OFF

“A delegation led by Tourism Tasmania’s director of aviation and access development Hans van Pelt will visit Asia next week to discuss the possibility of direct flights between Asia and Tasmania with interested airlines,” Mr Hodgman said.

“They will visit a number of cities in China and South-East Asia to hold discussions with airlines.

“The Liberal Government is committed to growing tourists to Tasmania to 1.5 million per year by 2020, and establishing direct air links with Asia would certainly help us to achieve this.”

DAMON THOMAS CONFIDENT ON CHINA AIR LINK

The Government hopes the mission can build on the positive results from the last Tasmanian Visitor Survey released in June, which revealed an overall jump of 14 per cent in tourist numbers to the state, which included a near-doubling of Chinese visitors to 18,900.

Then, Mr Hodgman described the Asian visitor market as key to Tasmania’s economic future, with plans to help “Asia-ready” the state’s tourism operators.

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief Luke Martin welcomed news of the trip, saying that securing a direct air connection into the Asian region would elevate Tasmania as a destination.

But he said ensuring the state was prepared for an influx of Asian visitors was a challenge that needed to be met. “I liken it to the cruise ship market, where 20 years ago we started out with only a few ships arriving each year and we’ve grown into one of Australia’s major cruise ship destinations,” Mr Martin said.