Published on : Friday, December 13, 2013
Daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Perth will help increase international visitation to Western Australia and grow the visitor economy, according to peak national industry body Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF).
Etihad Airways will commence direct A330-200 services between Abu Dhabi and Perth from July 15, 2014, adding more than 95,000 inbound seats a year.
TTF Chief Executive Ken Morrison said this is great news for Western Australia.
“Direct daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Perth connect Western Australia to the growth hub of the United Arab Emirates,” Mr Morrison said.
“International arrivals from the UAE to Australia are up 22.2 per cent so far in 2013, following on from 14.1 per cent growth for the same period last year.
“Aviation capacity has played a big part in that growth.
“In addition, Etihad flies to dozens of destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, putting Perth just one stop away from a host of other international source markets.
“For many travellers, convenience is a factor in their decision making, so one-stop flights remove a critical barrier by reducing travel time and making access easier.
“In addition, these flights will encourage dispersal by international visitors because passengers can seamlessly transition from an Etihad flight onto a Virgin Australia domestic or regional service.
“These flights will help Australia reach its goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure to $140 billion by 2020 and allow tourism to fulfil its potential as an economic development strategy for Australia.
“Attracting more international services to Perth has been a big focus for Tourism WA over the past four years and it is pleasing to see those efforts bearing fruit.
“The WA government has embarked on a wide-reaching review of the state’s entire aviation strategy, to which TTF has contributed, and we are looking forward to reviewing the final strategy when it is published next year.”
Source:- TTF
Tags: Airline News
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