International passenger numbers increase into the Gold Coast
Posted by editor (editor) on Oct 13 2009
2009 >>

New services from Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Tokyo and Auckland have helped to buoy international passenger movements into the Gold Coast, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said.

Mr Lawlor said the latest international passenger movements data released by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics revealed arrivals into the Gold Coast were up 83 percent in the year ending June 2009.

“Despite the ongoing impact of the global financial crisis, inbound passenger movements to the Gold Coast have performed strongly over the past 12 months,” Mr Lawlor said.

“Jetstar’s decision to launch services from Osaka and Tokyo to the Gold Coast in October and December 2008 has resulted in an estimated 73,000 passengers travelling from Japan to the Gold Coast in the year ended June 2009.

“Since AirAsia X launched a Kuala Lumpur – Gold Coast route in November 2007, passenger movements have grown significantly with 56,000 passengers travelling to the Gold Coast in the year ended June 2009, up 73 percent on the same time in the previous year.

“Jetstar’s decision to start daily services from Auckland to the Gold Coast in April this year has resulted in more good news with an estimated 135,000 passengers flying to the Gold Coast on the Auckland route in the year ended June 2009.

“Over the last three financial years, passenger movements on the Auckland-Gold Coast route have grown significantly with arrivals up 52 percent.

“In the year ending June 2009 the Gold Coast was the most popular holiday destination for New Zealand travellers in Australia and the second most popular for Japanese holidaymaker

“The Gold Coast is the number one holiday destination in Australia for New Zealand visitors and second most popular with Japanese visitors with 137,000 and 96,000 holidaymakers visiting the Gold Coast in the year ended June 2009.”

Mr Lawlor said supporting Queensland’s aviation partners was paramount to the strength of the Queensland tourism industry.

“Queensland is more dependent on airlines than any other state, having Australia’s most regionally spread population, and increasing the number of arrivals into regional centres is a constant challenge,” he said.

“It is essential in tough economic times such as these that we support the carriers who are committed to Queensland, whether they are Australian or international.

“It is airline partnerships and strategic aviation planning that will maintain Queensland’s dominance in the international tourism market well into the future.”

Media enquiries
Minister’s Office – 3225 1005
Tourism Queensland 3535 5010

Last changed: Oct 13 2009 at 9:26 AM