Victoria's visitor economy has received another boost with the arrival of the first Hong Kong Airlines service into Melbourne, supported by the Allan Labor Government.
The airline's first Airbus A330 service touched down at Melbourne Airport this morning.
Hong Kong Airlines will operate the route three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays, adding around 93,600 additional seats each year between Victoria and Hong Kong.
Direct flights with the carrier will also open up onward connections for travellers to more than 30 destinations across Asia and North America, including Tokyo and Vancouver - creating a new pathway for more travellers to experience the state's events, hospitality and attractions
In the year ending June 2025, Victoria welcomed more than 95,700 visitors from Hong Kong who contributed $266 million in visitor spending, making it Victoria's seventh largest visitor market.
The new service is also expected to support trade links and export opportunities by increasing direct access to a major consumer market, including additional freight capacity.
The deal is the latest agreement funded through the Labor Government's $7 million Industry Partnership Program, an initiative from the Economic Growth Statement which sees industry partners match government investment dollar-for-dollar.
Since the inception of the program, a suite of new partnerships has been secured with partners such as Accor, Alpine Resorts Victoria and Trip.com.
As stated by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
"This new service is another win for our visitor economy which supports 288,000 jobs across the state.
"It will help to grow one of our key markets, bringing more tourists to Melbourne and our regions, keeping hotels and locals businesses busy."
As stated by Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements
"By partnering with industry through this program, we are converting interest into visitation and building Victoria's record $43.7 billion visitor economy in the processes."
As stated by Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos
"The recent expansion of bilateral air traffic rights between Hong Kong and Australia played a key role in enabling this service, which will contribute millions of dollars to the Victorian economy."
