Sydney is gearing up for a major tourism influx this summer with a number of new international airlines set to touch down in the New South Wales capital.
A combined total of 980,000 seats to Sydney will be added over the next 12 months by seven international airlines which include All Nippon Airways, Xiamen Airlines, Solomon Airlines, American Airlines, Indonesia AirAsia X, Hainan Airlines and Qatar Airways.
The additional capacity to provide a “huge economic benefit” for the entire state, according to NSW minister for trade tourism and major events Stuart Ayres.
“Our state is Australia’s home of international travel, and the NSW Government through our tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, has developed key international partnerships to attract the world’s best airlines,” he said.
The last 12 months have already seen impressive growth, Ayres continued. International visitors to NSW spent more than $8 billion over the year – an increase of 15%. A significant “jump” was specifically recorded from the Chinese market.
“The major events we continue to attract, and the important relationships we have developed with the airlines and key inbound tourism operators around the world are key to this significant growth in visitor numbers,” he said.
Sydney Airport managing director and chief executive Kerrie Mather said: “Sydney Airport is the nation’s leading airport for new airline services, and the world’s leading airport for Chinese long-haul airlines, with six carriers serving eight mainland Chinese cities by the end of this year.
“We continue to work with government and industry partners to attract new airlines and routes to Sydney, with associated economic and tourism benefits.”
