Tourism Victoria is the State Government of Victoria’s lead agency on air services, working closely with Melbourne Airport on international air service proposals and Avalon Airport on Jetstar services.

Victorian tourism, particularly international, is dependent on convenient air access. There is a need to continue to influence aviation policy and to focus on relationships with airlines. Other states are working with key airlines to take advantage of their distribution system across markets. Victoria needs to be aggressive in order to maintain and grow air access.

Seventy per cent of Victoria’s tourism growth over the next decade is forecast to come from international markets, so increasing the number of direct international flights to Melbourne is obviously crucial to our tourism success. Melbourne Airport provides numerous advantages, it is A380 ready, curfew-free and easily accessible to the city’s road network – but the current environment is very competitive and challenging.

Historically Tourism Victoria has worked closely with international airlines through cooperative marketing campaigns and other means to increase the number and frequency of direct flights into Melbourne.

Looking to the future

Greater priority will be given to international aviation policy development and advocacy to deliver more direct flights to Victoria.

We will strengthen our efforts in developing network development agreements with high value carriers to attract additional direct flights to Victoria. We will also continue to work with Jetstar International to boost inbound passenger numbers from strategic destinations.

On the domestic front, Tiger Airways was recently secured for Melbourne leading to the acceleration in the delivery of low cost seats into the State. As Victoria is now experiencing, it is the competitive low cost carriers such as Tiger Airways that are reducing the cost of travel and stimulating passenger traffic around the world. The outlook is promising.