The Gold Coast has secured another major tourism coup, with the city set to welcome back flights to and from Hong Kong for the first time in six years.
Gold Coast Airport has confirmed Hong Kong Airlines will resume its direct flights to the glitter strip from January 17 to February 15 next year.
The service will run for five weeks over the Chinese Lunar New Year period, delivering approximately 6,000 inbound seats to the Gold Coast.
The new route, which is Hong Kong Airlines’ first Australian connection since Covid, will operate four times a week.
Queensland Airports Limited Chief Executive Officer Amelia Evans said they’re hopeful the service will help to repair the city’s Chinese visitor market.
“This will be our first direct connection to Greater China since 2018,” Ms Evans said.
“We are hopeful the seasonal service will elevate the Gold Coast as a destination of choice in our key markets of Hong Kong and mainland China, and if successful, will translate into longer-term services.
“China has always been a critical visitor market for the Gold Coast and Queensland more broadly, so reconnecting to Hong Kong marks a positive step forward in our international recovery journey.”
Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn said the new service would help bolster international visitation as the city continues to rebuild from the pandemic.
“The Hong Kong Airlines service announcement is welcome news for our tourism and business event industry, as well as the local economy more broadly,” Mr Warn said.
“Five years ago, China and Hong Kong visitor spend was worth $430.3 million to the Gold Coast economy, attracting more than 280,000 visitors a year.
“The market is still on the long road to recovery with $96.7 million, or 53,000 visitors, contributed to the Gold Coast economy in year ending March 2024.
“One of our key priorities is to grow connectivity and secure new airline partnerships so the Gold Coast can tap into new markets but also re-establish links with markets that are crucial for the resurgence of international visitation.”
Tickets will go on sale via the Hong Kong Airlines Website from next week.
