Tourism industry hails Pacific Blue
September 17, 2003
The Australian tourism industry has hailed the announcement of Virgin Blue's foray across the Tasman but warned increased competition must be sustainable.
Virgin Blue announced its new international division, Pacific Blue Airlines, will takeoff from Christchurch on February 1 next year.
The daily service between the New Zealand city and Brisbane will offer a special introductory one-way price of NZ$99.
Other routes from the airlines Christchurch base to Australia will be added over the course of next year.
Queensland Tourism Industry Corporation chief executive Daniel Gschwind (Gschwind) said the increased capacity was welcome news.
"Certainly consumers and the tourism industry would welcome increased capacity, greater range of services and of course attractive fares," he said.
"But on the other side of the coin we do want to see sustainable services, we don't want a commercial bloodbath across the Tasman.
"We want to make sure carriers stay in the market for a long time."
Both Qantas and Air New Zealand have announced cut price deals for their services across the Tasman in anticipation of new services from Pacific Blue and the Dubai-based Emirates.
Mr Gschwind said the arrival of Pacific Blue could change the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) attitude to the Qantas proposal to buy a stake in Air New Zealand.
"The ACCC probably has good reason to revisit some of the suggestions those two carriers have made," he said.
New Zealand is Australia's largest tourism market making up around 16 per cent of all annual arrivals.
In 2001 there 814,900 arrivals from New Zealand but this dropped to 790,100 last year largely because of a drop in capacity caused by the collapse of Ansett and withdrawal on international services.
Australian Tourism Export Council deputy managing director Greg Thomas said New Zealand was Australia's most important market.
"The introduction of new capacity is a big bonus for the industry," Mr Thomas said.
©2003 AAP
Now I know this is an article about cheap airfares but I reckon with fares like that if Pacific Blue get a route to Auckland as well you'll see fans going to and from NZ in large numbers to games in both countries that their teams are involved in....especially if the Warriors win it this year!
September 17, 2003
The Australian tourism industry has hailed the announcement of Virgin Blue's foray across the Tasman but warned increased competition must be sustainable.
Virgin Blue announced its new international division, Pacific Blue Airlines, will takeoff from Christchurch on February 1 next year.
The daily service between the New Zealand city and Brisbane will offer a special introductory one-way price of NZ$99.
Other routes from the airlines Christchurch base to Australia will be added over the course of next year.
Queensland Tourism Industry Corporation chief executive Daniel Gschwind (Gschwind) said the increased capacity was welcome news.
"Certainly consumers and the tourism industry would welcome increased capacity, greater range of services and of course attractive fares," he said.
"But on the other side of the coin we do want to see sustainable services, we don't want a commercial bloodbath across the Tasman.
"We want to make sure carriers stay in the market for a long time."
Both Qantas and Air New Zealand have announced cut price deals for their services across the Tasman in anticipation of new services from Pacific Blue and the Dubai-based Emirates.
Mr Gschwind said the arrival of Pacific Blue could change the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) attitude to the Qantas proposal to buy a stake in Air New Zealand.
"The ACCC probably has good reason to revisit some of the suggestions those two carriers have made," he said.
New Zealand is Australia's largest tourism market making up around 16 per cent of all annual arrivals.
In 2001 there 814,900 arrivals from New Zealand but this dropped to 790,100 last year largely because of a drop in capacity caused by the collapse of Ansett and withdrawal on international services.
Australian Tourism Export Council deputy managing director Greg Thomas said New Zealand was Australia's most important market.
"The introduction of new capacity is a big bonus for the industry," Mr Thomas said.
©2003 AAP
Now I know this is an article about cheap airfares but I reckon with fares like that if Pacific Blue get a route to Auckland as well you'll see fans going to and from NZ in large numbers to games in both countries that their teams are involved in....especially if the Warriors win it this year!
