Social media plan to attract Chinese tourists

SOCIAL media is the gateway to luring millions of Chinese tourists to Tasmania, Chinese airlines say.

An Air China plane takes off from Sydney Airport. Hobart Lord Mayor Damon Thomas has been

SOCIAL media is the gateway to luring millions of Chinese tourists to Tasmania, Chinese airlines say.

To boost the commercial ­viability of direct flights ­between Hobart and China, the airlines have suggested using blogs and Twitter to raise Tasmania’s profile in China.

The advice was given to Hobart Lord Mayor Damon Thomas, who met Chinese airline officials and tourism managers in Melbourne this week about plans to begin direct flights between China and Hobart.

Ald Thomas said the Chinese officials had “a strong and positive appreciation of our beautiful island” and felt sure the state had “huge potential” among upper-end Chinese travellers.

But the airlines wanted to ensure direct flights had a strong market in China, which meant first boosting the state’s profile.

“There was a clear message from the Chinese that for Tasmania to become a serious tourist destination it had to become better known,” Ald Thomas said.

“They suggested that the best way to become known was to bring down Chinese celebrities who would write about Tasmania through social media. “They said: ‘If those people come and see you, they will sell you’.”

Chinese celebrities have Twitter followers running into millions, with superstar actor Yao Chen boasting 58 million fans.

Ald Thomas is pushing for direct charter flights from China to Hobart in time for the Dark MOFO festival in mid-June.

The airlines said the cost of flying to Hobart would become more viable once a 500m ­extension of the airport runway was completed, which is not due for another three years.

A longer runway would allow larger-capacity aircraft that do not to need to stop to refuel.

But Ald Thomas said there were interstate refuelling options being considered before the extension was complete.

His meeting, facilitated by China’s Consul-General, was with general managers from China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China and Sichuan Airlines.