Cairns looking forward to welcoming Chinese Tourists!

CAIRNS is preparing for an influx of tourists after China's biggest airline today announced it will launch tri-weekly flights into Cairns before the end of the year.

Less than a month after China Eastern announced direct flights to Cairns from Shanghai, China Southern has also committed to commence flights from Guangzhou, beginning December this year.The arrangement is part of a $9 million marketing deal between Tourism Australia and China Southern Airlines.Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said the new announcement could lead to a "tourism renaissance" in the Far North."With Chinese visitors to Cairns up nearly 40 per cent last year, the appeal is clearly there," he said."And now with this significant injection of air capacity, so is the improvement in air access we need from Australia's fastest growing and most valuable overseas market."

China Southern is the leading carrier on the China-Australia route, carrying 22 per cent of all Chinese tourists to Australia last year.