Signing the agreement: (L-R) Tourism WA CEO Stephanie Buckland, Tourism Minister Dr Kim Hames
and Executive Vice President Commercial for China Southern Airlines Mr He Zong Kai.
China Southern Airlines agreement brings direct flights between Perth to China a step closer.
Perth is set to join Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as part of China Southern Airline's Australian network following the signing of a strategic cooperative agreement between the airline and Tourism WA last Friday.
The agreement was formally sealed at a ceremony in Guangzhou attended by Tourism Minister Dr Kim Hames, Tourism WA CEO Stephanie Buckland, Westralia Airports Corporation CEO Brad Geatches, China Southern Airlines' President and CEO Tan Wan Geng, and other senior airline executives.
Ms Buckland said the agreement was a significant breakthrough in the quest to establish direct flights between Perth and the massive Chinese market.
"Gaining direct access to China has been a top priority for Tourism WA," Ms Buckland said.
"Negotiations will now continue to finalise a marketing plan, flight schedules and a start date for a new service.
"There is much work to be done to stimulate market interest in China, and to help WA tourism operators prepare for the expected influx of Chinese visitors and to cater for their needs."
Tourism WA has developed a four-pronged marketing strategy to support direct aviation access to China.
Consumer Marketing - promote Western Australia directly to consumers in key Chinese cities through PR, digital marketing and in flight advertising - focusing in on the extraordinary experiences that appeal to Chinese travellers.
Trade Marketing - working closely with Chinese outbound travel agents to educate them about WA, help them to develop itineraries and conduct cooperative marketing campaigns.
WA Trade - working with WA tourism operators to ensure that Chinese visitors have a good experience in WA and also helping the WA trade to connect with the Chinese outbound agents.
Strategic Partnerships - create partnerships with government and private sector organisations to promote travel between China and Perth for all purposes (e.g. business travel, education, business events).
China Southern Airlines is not only China's largest airline, but the biggest in Asia. It has hubs in Guangzhou and Beijing. Using a fleet of more than 400 Airbus, Boeing and Embraer aircraft, China Southern operates an extensive domestic network within China, as well as international services to the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Australia.
Many of China Southern's pilots are already familiar with West Australian skies following the establishment of the airline's Flying College here in 1993, with campuses at Jandakot and Merredin.
Western Australia has very strong trade links with China, with the State contributing around 70 per cent of Australia's exports to China.
As a result Perth is already a high-yield route from China, with 33 per cent of passengers travelling for business or employment.
In 2010, 12,000 Chinese visitors came to WA, an increase of 32.1 per cent on 2009. But currently WA only attracts about three per cent of Chinese visitors to Australia, and Tourism WA wants to significantly increase our share of the Chinese market.
"The introduction of direct access will obviously help to rectify that imbalance," Ms Buckland said.
