Tropical North Queensland, Australia: A new hotspot for Chinese New Year tourists?

CNY Mantra Amphora
CNY Mantra Amphora
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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Palm Cove has emerged as a popular choice for Chinese New Year (CNY) visitors this year in Tropical North Queensland (TNQ), Australia, with strong numbers converging to celebrate the Year of the Sheep

Palm Cove has emerged as a popular choice for Chinese New Year (CNY) visitors this year in Tropical North Queensland (TNQ), Australia, with strong numbers converging to celebrate the Year of the Sheep.

While Cairns remains a constant favorite since CNY events in TNQ increased in popularity in 2012, it is the Groupโ€™s Palm Cove resorts โ€“ Peppers Beach Club & Spa and Mantra Amphora โ€“ that are seeing a significant lift in room nights, indicating that Chinese groups are beginning to venture further out in the region.

A number of factors have contributed to the strong tourism numbers over the CNY period including China Eastern commencing daily flights during February which means a total of 28 services for the month compared to 12 last year. About 20,000 Chinese passengers visited Cairns for CNY 2014 so it is anticipated this number will rise significantly.

Area Manager and Peppers Beach Club & Spa GM Chris Northam said that CNY celebrations are just an indication of the regionโ€™s popularity year round with Chinese visitors:

โ€œThe International Visitors Survey showed that Chinese visitor numbers continue to rise into Cairns with a 4.4% increase for the year ending September 2014 compared to the previous year; with this evident demand for our destination in the Chinese market and China Easternโ€™s extended seasonal service we are confident this growth trend will continue,โ€ he said.

โ€œWe support the strategic direction to present Cairns as a stand-alone destination to attract year-round direct flights between Shanghai and China and are further encouraged by the announcement of direct flights to Cairns from Denpasar in March with Jetstar and Singapore via SilkAir, due to start in May.โ€

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Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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