Tasmanian Government in top-flight talks on securing direct air traffic from Asia

THE State Government has sent a delegation to Asia in an accelerating bid to lure international flights to Hobart.

KOCH COLUMN : CHINA .. Chinese tourists take photographs in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, on Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. At least 150,000 people from mainland China and across Asia are projected to descend on Sydney, Australia's most populous city, during the New Year's Eve and Chinese New Year period. Photographer: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg via Getty Images

THE Tasmanian Government has sent a delegation to Asia in an accelerating bid to lure international flights to Hobart.

Premier Will Hodgman today revealed details of trip, just a day after launching a new guide for Tasmanian businesses keen to attract Chinese clientele.

CAPITALISING ON CHINA BOOM

“A delegation led by Tourism Tasmania’s director of aviation and access development Hans van Pelt is visiting Asia this week to discuss the possibility of direct flights between Asia and Tasmania with interested airlines,” he said.

“They are visiting 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.”

China is Tasmania’s fastest-growing international tourism market, with numbers doubling to 18,900 during the 12 months to March.