Melbourne expects UK visitor boom in 2010
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International visitors to Melbourne have increased by four per cent to the end of August this year, following a raft of new airline route launches which are also encouraging British travellers to start their Australia holiday in the country’s cultural and events capital. www.visitmelbourne.com/uk
Claire Golding, Tourism Victoria’s regional manager for UK and Europe said: “2010 really should be Melbourne’s year. British travellers flying into our state were up by 2 per cent in August in 2009 but with so many new flight routes, great value launch offers and a range of stunning world class events and attractions we’re confident in welcoming even greater numbers of British visitors in 2010.”
From 6 December 2009 Qatar Airways will launch a new service to Melbourne departing from London Heathrow or Manchester. This is the airline’s first destination in Australia and will include three weekly services from its hub in Doha, which will become daily early in 2010. The new one-stop service and a Doha connection time as low as just one-hour will make Qatar Airways one of the fastest airlines from the UK to Melbourne*. www.qatarairways.com
At the end of September Singapore Airlines increased capacity to Melbourne by 10 per cent by introducing an Airbus A380 - the world’s largest passenger aircraft on the route between Singapore and Melbourne. Melbourne is the second city in Australia and the sixth in Singapore Airline’s network to receive the spacious 471-seat A380. Singapore Airlines now flies 21 weekly services between Singapore and Melbourne. www.singapore.com
From March this year British travellers have also been able to Melbourne with Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi. The airline operates a three cabin Airbus A340-600 to Melbourne. It is configured to carry 286 passengers, with 12 in first class, 30 in business class and 244 in economy class. www.etihadairways.com.
In February this year Emirates added a third daily flight to Melbourne with connections from six UK departure airports – Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow. Emirates has also launched a new airline pass with Virgin Blue meaning that visitors to Melbourne can extend their visit to the rest of Australia. www.emirates.com/uk
Air Asia X also began flying to Melbourne at the end of 2008 and other carriers featuring the city include Air France, British Airways, Air China, Cathay Pacific, Korean Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Thai Airways and United Airlines.
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