A new code-sharing arrangement between Qantas and China Eastern will make it easier for a growing number of Chinese travellers to visit Tasmania.
Under the arrangements China Eastern Airlines will put their airline code on all Qantas services from Melbourne and Sydney to Hobart and flights from Melbourne to Launceston later this year.
What this means is for the first time a traveller booking a flight from Shanghai can now select Tasmania as a final destination and purchase just one ticket.
This not only makes it more seamless for Chinese travellers to get to our island, it also increases the prominence of Tasmania as a destination in our number one international tourism market.
As a Government, we have been working hard to help secure this important arrangement. Our specialised Air Access Group has been very active in this space, and a meeting with China Eastern at their headquarters in Shanghai was an important part of my recent China Trade Mission. My Government also lodged a submission to the ACCC in support of the joint venture before it authorised the code sharing.
This change has huge potential to build on the record number of Chinese tourists visiting Tasmania, which has increased by 38 per cent in the past year.
Tourism Tasmania and China Eastern will work together to capitalise on this, and will meet next month to develop marketing strategies to promote Tasmania and the codeshare flights.
This will help us to achieve our target of attracting 1.5 million visitors to our state every year by 2020.
Will Hodgman, Premier Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events
